Auburn looked like it could be heading to the winner's bracket of the Tallahassee Regional after the first inning of its game against South Florida.

Instead, the Tigers are now one loss away from elimination.

Despite grabbing control early with a five-run first inning, Auburn lost 12-7 in nine innings to South Florida, who outscored the Tigers 12-2 over the final eight innings to win the opening game of the Tallahassee Regional Friday.

Auburn tallied five hits in the first inning, with RBI hits from Anna Wohlers and Rose Roach before Amelia Lech hit a three-run home run to put Auburn in front 5-0.

South Florida responded with a two-run single in the second inning by Kathy Garcia-Soto and a two-run home run in the third by Josie Foreman to make it a one-run ballgame. Foreman hit her second home run of the day in the fifth inning, also good for two runs, to give South Florida its first lead.

The Tigers tied the game in the sixth inning off an RBI single from Aubrie Lisenby and no one scored in the seventh to force extras. Garcia-Soto hit a solo home run in the eighth inning for South Florida, her first of the year, to give the Bulls the lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Auburn was down to its final out with Lech at the plate. Lech then hit her second home run of the day on the first pitch she saw to tie the game, sending the game to the ninth inning.

It was a disaster inning for Auburn pitcher SJ Geurin.

South Florida put up five runs in the ninth, as Geurin finished the day as the losing pitcher, tagged for eight hits and nine earned runs in her six innings of work. The big hit in the ninth was a grand slam by Camille Ortiz-Martinez.

Auburn will take on either Robert Morris or Florida State in an elimination game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN+.