While Auburn baseball has struggled for the majority of the SEC season, head coach Butch Thompson has been able to take solace in the fact his Tigers have been great outside of the conference. That feeling of solace disappeared faster than the sun during Monday’s solar eclipse on Tuesday.
The Tigers dropped a non-conference game for the first time since March 9 in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to 14-16 Alabama State. The loss, while disappointing, is the microcosm of what has been a disastrous March and April for Auburn.
After starters Christian Herberholz (1-1)and Luis Rodriguez (3-3) traded zeroes for the first three innings, the Tigers finally broke through on a 2-out, passed ball that scored Gavin Miller.
Herberholz responded with a shutdown fifth to finish his night before things once again went dormant until the seventh when the Hornets finally broke through against Auburn reliever Zach Crotchfelt with a game-tying, solo homer by outfielder Ali LaPread.
Crotchfelt gave up another solo shot, and the lead, the very next inning when 2024 First Team All-SWAC infielder Randy Flores took him deep. Alabama State would score a third run on an error in the ninth which proved to be enough to hold off a slight Auburn rally in the games’ final frame.
This is certainly a tough loss for an already reeling Auburn team, but the Tigers will need to flush it down the toilet as they prepare for a weekend SEC series against Kentucky this weekend.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch