AUBURN, Ala. (WHNT) – Hosting the NCAA Regional did not go the way the Auburn Tigers hoped it would.

Auburn fell to Southern Miss 7-2 Saturday afternoon, eliminating the Tigers from the regional after just two games.

The Tigers were hosting an NCAA Regional for the second straight year and got off to a rocky start Friday night, losing to Penn 6-3 in 11 innings, sending them to an elimination game Saturday.

Things did not start any better for the Tigers against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles were able to take an early lead in the top of the first after Christopher Sargent blasted a three-run home run.

The Golden Eagles extended the lead scoring a run in each of the third, fifth and sixth innings to take a commanding 6-0 lead. The Tigers were able to get two runs back in the bottom of the sixth inning but it was too little too late.

Southern Miss would tack on an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning to cruise to a 7-2 victory over Auburn.

After the game, Auburn Head Coach Butch Thompson took responsibility for the Tigers quick elimination saying he didn’t prepare them well enough.

“The responsibility lies on me,” Thompson said following the Tigers elimination Saturday. “The last three regionals I just felt like we were in such a good spot and played such good baseball and I did not get this team ready to the point of ready to compete for being able to be there on the last day of it.”

Southern Miss will advance to Samford on Sunday as the Bulldogs fell into the losers bracket with a 5-4 loss to Penn Saturday.