STARKVILLE — Tiffany Howard had done almost everything.
Hit .415? Stroke doubles and triples and lead the team in hits? No problem. Earn Southeastern Conference All-Freshman and All-Defensive honors as well as National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Southeast Region and All-America accolades? The Auburn outfielder accomplished that last season.
Despite all of her accomplishments, there was still one thing the senior hadn’t done: hit a home run. As a leadoff hitter, home runs aren’t expected, but Howard took care of that in the biggest spot imaginable Saturday, hitting a two-run home run to help No. 8 Auburn beat No. 12 LSU 7-1 in the Southeastern Conference tournament championship game at Nusz Park.
“It felt great,” Howard said. “I really wasn’t swinging for the fences. I was really trying to get the barrel out in front. That’s what I was trying to do with my slapping, but it just wasn’t working, so I decided to try something new, something different.”
With Auburn leading 5-1 in the sixth inning, Howard stepped to the plate with a runner at second base and one out. She was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, including one to current pitcher Carley Hoover. After Howard fouled off the first pitch, Hoover threw a ball to make it 1-1. Howard sent the next pitch over the right-center field fence to score Whitney Jordan, who had doubled.
As Howard rounded first base, coach Scott Woodard said, “Way to go. You got yourself a home run.” In shock, the only response Howard could muster was, “Oh, really?” Howard didn’t have a lot of faith the ball was going to leave the park.
“I knew it felt good because I didn’t feel it come off the bat,” Howard said. “I knew it was a good hit, but it usually always hits the fence or someone makes a great play on anything that’s hit that hard.”
The Pembroke, Georgia, native entered the at-bat without a home run in 676-career at-bats.
Auburn coach Clint Myers was surprised to see his 5-foot-5 left fielder hit a home run.
“For a little turd like she is, she has got some power,” Myers said. “When she really makes contact she can hit a ball, you saw it. I was jumping up and down when that ball left the yard. It couldn’t have been scripted any better.”
Howard, who was named to the all-tournament team after batting .455 (5-for-11), reached on error in the second to force home the first run. With the bases loaded and two outs, second baseman Constance Quinn couldn’t handle Howard’s sharp grounder and Madi Gipson scored. Emily Carosone followed with a single past a diving Quinn that scored Jordan and Victoria Draper. Howard scored from first on a throwing error by right fielder Bailey Landry.
Carosone, who hit .455 (5-for-11), was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. She followed Howard’s home run with a bunt single.
“I was next up to bat and you can’t really top Tiffany Howard hitting a home run,” Carosone said. “No one was ready for me to put a bunt down, and I was just trying to get on base.”
Auburn scored a run in the fifth on a single by Jade Rhodes.
Seventh-seeded LSU (45-15) cut the lead to 4-1 in the third when Amber Serrett scored on a wild pitch, but starter Makayla Martin (12-3) allowed only five hits in five innings. Rachel Walters pitched the final two innings. She issued a leadoff walk and then retired the next six. Carosone and Jordan had two hits for fourth-seeded Auburn (49-9).
LSU starter Sydney Smith (12-3) lasted 1 2/3 innings. She allowed four runs (none earned) on three hits. She walked one and struck out two.
Auburn, which beat Alabama (6-4) and top-ranked Florida (2-1) on Friday to reach the championship game, beat Missouri, Alabama, and Tennessee to win the school’s first tournament championship last season in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Auburn senior infielder Kelsey Bogaards, nicknamed “Turtle,” tore her right anterior cruciate ligament in the fall, but returned last weekend for the first time. She tore her left ACL on Sunday in the regular-season finale against Texas A&M. Auburn has rallied around her and is using the rally cry “Play for Turtle.” It also has custom T-shirts, green ribbons, and a stuffed turtle in the dugout.
Bogaards was on hand to see her team take the championship. She received hugs when the trophy was presented.
“Kelsey’s our motivation now,” Carosone said. “It sucks seeing a senior go down who’s worked so hard in her rehab. We were her motivation, and now she’s ours.”
Auburn likely locked up a top-eight seed for the NCAA tournament. It and the rest of the nation will learn their fate tonight when the field for the NCAA tournament is announced.
If Howard continues her success, she could help Auburn get back to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Even after the home run, Howard doesn’t want to move to one of the power spots — three, four or five — in the lineup.
“I’m going to let them take care of that. They do really good at that,” Howard said.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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