Tag: Caden Green

Tigers take both games in double header, clinch fourth-straight series victory

Auburn outscored the defending CWS champs, 24-6, to clinch the series on Friday.

The Auburn Tigers (29-19-1, 13-13 SEC) won both games in Friday’s doubleheader against the Ole Miss Rebels (25-25, 6-20 SEC) to clinch their fourth consecutive series win. The Tigers won the first game by a score of 16-4 in eight innings and the second game by a score of 8-2.

Sophomore right-hander [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] got the start for Auburn in the first game and allowed three runs off of four hits, walked one batter and struck one out in 2.1 innings of work. Junior left-hander [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] picked up the win in a 3.1-inning outing in which he allowed no runs off of three hits and struck two batters out.

Junior left-hander Xavier Rivas got the start for Ole Miss in the first game and ended up with the loss in a 2.1-inning effort in which he gave up six runs off of seven hits, walked two batters and struck five out.

The Rebels got the scoring started in the first inning, but a four-run rally in the second inning put the Tigers in front and they never looked back. Auburn was able to put runs across in all but two innings as Ole Miss struggled to find its footing at the plate.

Auburn had four players with multiple hits in the first game. Junior shortstop [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] went 4-5 with four runs batted in, a double and two home runs. Fifth-year outfielder [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag] went 4-4 with four runs batted in and four doubles. Redshirt senior right fielder [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] went 3-6 with a double. Junior second baseman [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] went 2-2 with three runs batted in. Senior catcher [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] hit the only other home run for the Tigers in the 16-4 run-rule victory over the Rebels.

Graduate left-hander [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] got the start and picked up the win for Auburn in the second game. Vail tossed eight innings and allowed only one run off of two hits, walked one batter and struck out six.

Freshman right-hander JT Quinn got the start for Ole Miss and ended up with the loss in an outing that lasted 2.2 innings and saw three runs off of three hits, four walks and five strikeouts.

Howell reached on an error in the second inning which allowed senior third baseman [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] to score for Auburn’s first run of the game. A steady flow of offense kept the Tigers in front.

The Rebels’ two runs came from an RBI double by junior right fielder Kemp Alderman in the fourth inning and a sac-fly hit by junior shortstop Jacob Gonzalez in the ninth inning.

The Tigers had five players with multiple hits in the second game. Foster, Peirce, Ware and LaRue all went 2-5. Freshman designated hitter [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] went 2-4 with three runs batted in and a home run.

The final game of the series is set for Saturday at 2:00 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=691343809]

Auburn run-rules No. 1 LSU to win series

Auburn handed No. 1 LSU its first SEC series loss of the season.

The Auburn Tigers took control early against top-ranked LSU with a six-run first inning as they run-ruled the visiting Tigers 12-2 to pick up the series win Sunday at Plainsman Park.

It is Auburn’s third straight SEC series win and they are now 27-19-1 overall and 11-13 in conference play.

“I thought all three games, even our loss, our processes were good,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “We absolutely showed up in a big way today.”

After getting six runs of support in the first inning, Auburn starter [autotag]Christian Herberholtz[/autotag] shut down the vaunted LSU offense, allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out four batters in his first win of the season.

“I felt great,” Herberholz said of his outing. “Strike one is huge. I think if you get strike one you can do just about anything. Strike one is the biggest strike for sure.”

“Just trust your stuff and let your defense work behind you,” Herberholz added. “It was a good feeling, being able to trust every pitch you have and trust your defense behind you. I just try to give it my all and give our team the best chance to win.”

The two runs are the fewest LSU has scored in a game this season and their 11 total in the series is also their lowest output.

After LSU led the game off with a home run Auburn was immediately threatening thanks to three-straight walks in the bottom of the first. [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] singled to tie the game up before consecutive walks of [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag], [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag], and [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag] put Auburn ahead. [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] then singled home two more to give Auburn a commanding 6-1 lead.

Howell padded Auburn’s lead with a two-RBI triple in the fourth and then did the same in the sixth to make it an 11-1 game. He finished the game with five RBI and two triples.

“Yeah, it was an unbelievable weekend,” Howell said. “Our fans were unbelievable, me and my close friend graduating, it’s been a great weekend.

“This team has always fought,” Howell added. “That’s been a staple of our program ever since Coach Thompson took over. We’re fighters. Now we’re just doing it with a little bit of precision and skill that we’ve acquired. We’re just continuing to fight and give everything we have.”

[autotag]Drew Nelson[/autotag] relieved Herberholz in the sixth and was nearly perfect. He allowed just one hit in three innings of work up pick up the save and give Auburn the opportunity to run-rule the No. 1 team in the country.

They did just that in the eighth when [autotag]Bobby Pierce[/autotag] was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Pierce advanced to second on a groundout by Irish before LSU intentionally walked Ware.

McMurray made them pay with a hard grounder off the first base bag that got away from the fielder and drove in Pierce to end the game.

“I’m standing right there with them so I know when they’re connected, and it’s nice that we hooked it up,” Thompson added. “We’ve done an amazing job at figuring out who we are, getting marginally better in a couple spots and staying together. That’s what we have to do moving forward.”

Auburn will return to action Tuesday when they faceoff with Samford at the Hoover Met. The game is set to start at 6 p.m. CT.

[mm-video type=video id=01gzcgrg99gnb1s8k7na playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzcgrg99gnb1s8k7na/01gzcgrg99gnb1s8k7na-b0d038f2d8e3c9239a66d835472040a2.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=2 category=691343809]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion

Alabama evens series with Auburn in a pitcher’s duel

Auburn’s late push was not enough to earn a game-two win on Saturday evening.

After winning Friday’s series opener at Alabama in convincing fashion, Auburn hoped to play well enough on Saturday to earn their second SEC series win of the season, and their first weekend series win on the road.

However, a three-run 2nd inning was enough for the Crimson Tide to take game two of the series. A bases-loaded walk and a two-RBI double by Alabama bats in the inning aided Alabama in its’ 4-2 win over Auburn on Saturday, thus creating a winner-take-all game three on Sunday afternoon.

Those three early runs by Alabama (25-11) were crucial, as Auburn (20-14-1, 5-9) outhit the Crimson Tide, 6-5, and left just one runner on base throughout the game, as opposed to Alabama, who stranded 10 runners.

Alabama got on the board first on a bases-loaded walk from Auburn starter Drew Nelson to Andrew Pinckney in the 2nd inning and would add to the lead just two pitches later when Mac Guscette scored two runs on a double down the left field line to extend Alabama’s lead to 3-0.

Alabama added one more run in the 4th inning when [autotag]Parker Carlson[/autotag] relieved [autotag]Tommy Sheehan[/autotag] on the mound, and immediately walked Ed Johnson with the bases loaded to move the Tide ahead, 4-0.

After two straight innings of sending the minimum to the plate, Auburn found their way onto the scoreboard in the 7th inning when [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] crushed a solo home run over the left field scoreboard to cut into Alabama’s lead, 1-0.

Auburn threatened the Crimson Tide’s lead yet again in the 9th inning when the first two batters of the inning reached base — [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] with a single and a full-count walk to [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag]. Stanfield scored on a [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] single to cut Alabama’s lead in half, 4-2. However, the threat ended when Peirce struck out on the ensuing at-bat, and Ike Irish grounded into a double play to end the game.

Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] applauded his team’s comeback effort, but hopes to one day “turn the corner.”

“I absolutely loved the engagement of our ballclub and giving us a chance when the game didn’t get started the way we wanted it to,” Thompson said after the game. “I thought we were one barrel away and had the guys who could do it.”

Alabama’s pitching deserves credit for keeping Auburn’s bats relatively quiet throughout the game. Starter Garrett McMillan allowed just one hit while striking out four over 5.0 innings of work. Zane Probst and Alton Davis also combined to allow two hits and an earned run to Auburn batters while striking out a batter and issuing just one walk.

Auburn had the most success against Hunter Furtado, as he allowed the Tigers to record three hits and one earned run off of him.

Nelson ended his start by allowing three earned runs on two hits with three walks in 1.0 inning of work. Auburn’s bullpen did a great job of holding the lead together as [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag], Tommy Sheehan, Parker Carlson, and [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag] combined to allow just three hits and one earned run over the final 8.0 innings. Crotchfelt struck out four batters and allowed two hits in the final three innings.

“He looked the part. He went through the entire lineup. That absolutely was his coming out party in my opinion,” Thompson said of Crotchfelt’s performance on the mound.

Auburn will have another opportunity to win the series over Alabama on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT from Sewell Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=691343809]

Auburn holds off the ninth inning push by Alabama in game one victory

6.2 innings of scoreless baseball from Tommy Vail and home runs by Chris Stanfield and Cole Foster lift Auburn to a series-opening win.

The Auburn Tigers (20-13-1, 5-8 SEC) picked up an 8-4 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11, 4-9 SEC) in the first game of the series Friday night at Sewell Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

“We needed somebody to step up,” Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said following Friday’s win. “It was his best outing. It was clean, it was efficient, it was great baseball. We needed this one on the road and Tommy absolutely silenced a very good lineup.”

[autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] got the start for the Tigers and let no runs score and only allowed two hits in a 6.2-inning effort that also saw four strikeouts and only four walks.

“It felt good to get the weekend off to a good start,” Vail said. “It’s my job to go as deep as I can and save the bullpen so we have more bullets to fire later on. It felt good to throw up zeros and know the guys behind me were playing their tails off.”

Luke Holman got the start for the Crimson Tide and allowed four runs off of four hits, walked three batters and struck out six.

[autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the second inning. [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] singled home two more runs in the seventh inning.

[autotag]Cooper McMurray [/autotag] singled to bring another run in during the eighth inning. The Tigers tacked on their last three runs in the ninth inning when Green reached on an error that allowed Stanfield to score from second and when [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 8-0.

“Throughout the night my at-bats got better and I happened to hit a hanging changeup and did what I could with it,” Foster said.

The Crimson Tide scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, three of which were forced in by walks or batters being hit by pitches.

The first pitch for the second game of the series is set for Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CST.

RELATED: How to watch this weekend’s series between Auburn and Alabama

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=691343809]

Auburn drops game against UAB

It is Auburn’s first loss against a midweek opponent this season.

Auburn battled back to take the lead after falling behind 4-0 but was unable to hold on as UAB picked up the 6-5 win in walk-off fashion at Regions Field.

“I just wanted them to fight,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “It was a good game back and forth. We got the bases loaded in the eighth, and then they loaded them in the bottom of the ninth and get the run to beat us. I just wanted our guys to fight. All of the other stuff will kind of work its way out throughout a ballgame. I liked the fight regardless of the outcome tonight.”

It is the Tiger’s first loss against a midweek opponent this season and they are now 18-10-1 overall.

The Blazers stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Auburn got a run back in the third on a [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] sacrifice fly and tied it up in the fourth when [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] hit a two-RBI single to center field.

Auburn took a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning when [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly to drive in [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag].

[autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag] came in to pitch the seventh inning for Auburn and was unable to keep it tied. He allowed a double and a walk to start the inning and the Blazers tied it with a bunt.

The Blazers once again got their leadoff man on in the ninth and advanced him to second on a sacrifice bunt. After another single, the Tigers intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases and turned to [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] to try and keep the game alive.

He was unable to get the job done as Henry Hunter hit a single to win it for the Blazers.

Auburn returns to SEC play Thursday for a three-game series against Texas A&M at Plainsman Park.

[mm-video type=video id=01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb/01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb-aa6c10e5a82b65b2debe916e714caf99.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=691343809]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Auburn’s bullpen collapses in decisive game three vs. No. 3 Florida

Auburn surrendered 14 unanswered runs.

Auburn looked like it was going to pull off a massive upset over the No. 3 Florida Gators before the bullpen collapsed on the second straight Sunday. The Tigers had an 8-3 lead but the Gators scored 14 unanswered runs to take control of the game and win 17-8 in Gainesville.

Six Auburn pitchers combined to allow 17 runs on just 12 hits, but they walked 13 batters and hit three more. Auburn is now 18-9-1 overall and 3-6 in SEC play.

“We got right where we wanted to,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “We built that 8-3 lead and when I saw them run and catch us, just so many freebies to allow them to get back in the ballgame there.”

After allowing three runs in the first inning, Auburn starter [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag] was able to settle in and give the Tigers 4.2 innings. He allowed five runs, four earned on just two hits. He struck out six Gators but walked five and hit two more.

He left in the bottom of the fifth with two on and two out and Auburn leading 8-3. Thompson turned to [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] to try and end the threat. He was unable to get an out as he walked the first batter, gave up a two-run single, and walked two more before [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag] came in to end the inning.

Disaster struck Ibell in the sixth inning as he was forced to call for a trainer and leave the game. That forced [autotag]Drew Nelson[/autotag] into the game.

He walked the first three batters he saw to make it an 8-7 Auburn lead before a sacrifice fly tied the game. He managed to escape the inning with the game tied but was unable to do so in the seventh. He hit the leadoff man and after a Wyatt Langford double put two men in scoring position Auburn once again went to the bullpen.

Jac Caglianome greeted [autotag]Konner Copeland[/autotag] with a two-RBI single to give Florida a 10-8 lead that they would not surrender. The Gators added two more runs in the seventh and five in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

The Tigers fell behind 3-0 after one inning but immediately started chipping away. [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] blasted a solo home run in the second inning and the Tigers took a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning when [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] hit a two-run homer and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] scored on a wild pitch.

They got some breathing room in the fifth when Peirce drove in Green and [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] smacked a three-run homer to make it an 8-3 lead.

The Tigers will return to action Tuesday night when they take on UAB at Regions Field in Birmingham. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CT.

[mm-video type=video id=01gwpsm9p4cdw1scpvrf playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gwpsm9p4cdw1scpvrf/01gwpsm9p4cdw1scpvrf-b5f2583e56b6fb9bbb8ec34d83b9adc4.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=691343809]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Auburn falls apart in eighth inning, gets crushed 24-7 by Georgia

The Bulldogs scored 16 runs in the eighth inning to put the game away.

Auburn once again erased an early lead Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs but unlike the first two games of the series, the Bulldogs kept adding on and crushed the Tigers 24-7 in Plainsman Park.

Auburn (6-7-1, 2-4 SEC) trailed just 8-7 entering the eighth inning but the pitching staff came unraveled, surrendering eight hits and issuing eight free passes as the Bulldogs scored 16 runs to take command of the game and end any chances of Auburn completing their third straight comeback win.

Charlie Condon walked to lead off the inning and scored after consecutive singles by Parks Harber and Corey Collins to make it 9-7. A four-pitch walk to Will David loaded the bases with nobody out.

A second-straight walk brought another run home before Mason LaPlante broke the game up with a two-RBI single to make it 12-7. They kept adding on as their next eight batters reached safely to make it 20-7.

Auburn needed to cut the deficit to under 10 in the bottom of the eighth inning to prevent a run-rule loss but was unable to do so.

For the third time in the series, Auburn fell behind early. This time Georgia did their damage at the top of the first. Ben Anderson led the game off with a double and scored two batters later when Condon singled him home.

Harber gave them some breathing room next when he belted a two-run homer over the left field wall to give them an early 3-0 lead. Connor Tate opened the third inning with a solo home run to make it a 4-0 game.

After the next three Bulldog hitters reached base to load the bases with one out, [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] replaced freshman starter [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag] with [autotag]Christian Hernandez[/autotag]. The right-hander struck out Sebastian Murillo but walked Cole Wagner to give the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.

Auburn started chipping away in the bottom of the inning with a two-out rally. [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] got things started with a single before [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] was hit by a pitch. After Georgia failed to get Ware out in a rundown, [autotag]Justin Kirby[/autotag] hit a shallow blooper into right field to score Ware and make it a 5-1 game.

The Tigers got another run back in the fourth after [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] walked and advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a single by [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag]. Kason Howell kept the rally going with a bunt single but Auburn was unable to get another run across and left two more runners stranded.

The Bulldogs struck again when Parks led the fifth inning off with a double and David singled him home to make it a 6-2 lead. Thompson once again went to his bullpen after that, this time calling for Parker Carlson. 

Georgia once again loaded the bases after an error by [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] and Carlson walked a batter. The Bulldogs took advantage of the opportunity with a two-RBI single by LaPlante to make it 8-2 and break the game open.

The Tigers chased Georgia starter Liam Sullivan in the fifth inning after Kirby singled and Bobby Pierce reached on an infield single. Cooper McMurray entered as a pinch hitter and smoked a double to right field to make it 8-4 and get Auburn back in the game.

Auburn’s offense caught fire in the sixth inning. Howell walked to start the inning and Cole Foster doubled to bring Ware up with two runners in scoring position and nobody out. Ware smashed his 11th homer of the season to left center to make it an 8-7 game and seize the momentum for Auburn.

It would not last as the Bulldogs went on to score 16 runs in the eighth inning and prevent Auburn from sweeping the series.

Auburn baseball takes Georgia series with another impressive comeback

For the second game in a row, Auburn erased a three-run Georgia lead to steal a victory.

The Auburn Tigers earned their first SEC series win of the season by taking game two of the series with Georgia with a striking resemblance to how they won the series opener.

On Thursday, Georgia led 6-3 heading to the bottom half of the 9th inning. Auburn would tie the game on a two-RBI double by [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] and an error that allowed him to score several at-bats later. Auburn would then seal the win in the 11th inning when [autotag]Carter Wright[/autotag] was walked on four pitches with the bases loaded, giving the Tigers the 7-6 advantage.

In Friday’s middle game, Georgia jumped out to a 3-0 advantage through five innings before Auburn, yet again, erased the deficit to collect a win. Ike Irish scored three of the Tigers’ runs, and Justin Kirby added three more on a home run to left field in the 6th inning to give Auburn the 6-3 win over Georgia, which clinched the series at Plainsman Park.

“I thought it was a tall order tonight. I thought some things would have to go our way because you have a real, like game one SEC starter (Georgia starting pitcher Jaden Woods) going for them tonight even though it’s game two,” head coach Butch Thompson said following his team’s win over Georgia. “Any way you slice it, that’s a top-10 offense that you are facing. I thought that combination made this one really challenging.”

The Bulldogs struck first in the top of the 2nd inning when Cole Wagner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving the Bulldogs the 1-0 lead. Bulldog power hitter Charlie Condon doubled the lead on a solo shot to dead-center field in the 3rd inning to move Georgia ahead, 2-0.

After the home run, Auburn starter [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] walked the ensuing batter on four pitches, which caused head coach Butch Thompson to make a pitching change. [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] was called upon and ended the inning by striking out Sebastian Murillo to end the inning.

Allsup held Georgia in check until the 5th inning when a hit that just fell shy of [autotag]Justin Kirby[/autotag]’s glove in right field, as well as an error, led the Bulldogs to score another run, extending their lead to 3-0. He would exit in the 6th inning after allowing one hit and striking out a batter in 2.2 innings of work.

Auburn was able to erase the no-hit effort of Georgia’s Jaden Woods in the bottom of the inning when freshman [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] hit his first collegiate home run over the monster in left field to cut into the Bulldog’s lead, 3-1.

Irish would score Auburn’s second run of the game on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the 6th inning. Auburn would then take the lead on the very next at-bat when Justin Kirby cranked his eighth home run of the season over the left field wall. The three-run shot put Auburn ahead, 5-3.

Momentum rushed to Auburn’s side of the top of the 7th inning when Georgia’s Corey Collins failed to touch home plate after a Sebastian Murillo single that would have trimmed Auburn’s lead to 5-4. After review, it was determined that Collins never touched the plate, and was tagged out while trying to correct the effort.

From that moment on, Auburn collected three hits and a run while holding Georgia to two hits.

Irish and Kirby paced the team in RBI, scoring three runs each. The Tigers recorded eight hits in the game, with [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] being the only player to record two. John Armstrong earned the win on the mound. He went 2.2 innings and allowed five hits, zero earned runs, and zero walks.

RELATED: How to watch the Auburn-Georgia series

Game three of the series between Auburn and Georgia is set for 2 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=691343809]

Series recap: Arkansas sweeps Auburn to open SEC slate

The Tigers could not keep up with Arkansas’ hot bats on SEC’s opening weekend.

Auburn baseball has had to play catch up all season long, but could not get over the hump in their first SEC series of the season.

The Auburn Tigers faced the No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks on the road at a challenging venue in Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks were up for the challenge and outscored the Tigers, 21-5 on their way to a series sweep to open SEC play.

Auburn had a great start to the weekend by jumping out to a 2-0 lead behind a solo home run by [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag] and a sacrifice fly by [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag]. The Razorbacks stormed back in the bottom of the 5th inning by scoring five runs, most of which came off the bat of Brady Slavens, who hit a three-run blast to give Arkansas the lead.

Arkansas took control of Saturday and Sunday’s game by not allowing Auburn to get a lead in either game.

The first series is in the dust, and now Auburn begins a new week with four opportunities to right the ship with a midweek game against South Alabama, and a weekend series at Plainsman Park against Georgia.

Here’s a breakdown of this weekend’s series loss at Arkansas.

Auburn baseball ‘responds’ with come-from-behind win at Jax State

Cole Foster led the Tigers offensively with four hits in Auburn’s first true road win of the year.

For the second straight day, Auburn got into a tight defensive battle with an in-state foe. However, what made Wednesday’s game at Jax State different from Tuesday’s win over UAB on Tuesday was that Auburn needed to come from behind to get the win.

Trailing 1-0 heading to the 7th inning, a trio of hits from the top half of Auburn’s lineup made way for four runs to score. Two more insurance runs in the 9th inning would be enough to escape Jacksonville with a 6-3 win at Rudy Abbott Field.

“We responded. I thought that was the difference there in the ballgame,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said following Wednesday’s game. “It’s neat to play some of these closer games and having to come from behind. Some teams can only win one way. I think we’re at least learning or gaining a little confidence that we can win more than one way.”

Both teams were held scoreless through the first five innings before Jax State broke open the tie by posting a run in their half of the 6th inning. The Gamecocks led off the inning with a base runner due to an error by Tiger shortstop Cole Foster. That run scored two at-bats later on a right-field double by Mason Maners to put Jax State up, 1-0.

Auburn responded by delivering a punch in the form of a four-run top of the 7th inning with two outs. Foster tied the game on a single to left field to score [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] from third base. [autotag]Justin Kirby[/autotag] would give Auburn the lead on a ground-rule double that scored [autotag]Mike Bello[/autotag]. Finally, [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] gave the Tigers added insurance on a two-run double to left field that scored Kirby and Foster to give Auburn the 4-1 lead.

Auburn added two more runs in the top of the 9th inning when [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] plated two on a single to left field to extend Auburn’s lead to 6-1. Those two runs would be considered the game’s most important for Auburn, as the Gamecocks fired back by scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth to cut Auburn’s lead to 6-3.

It would be the second night in a row that Auburn allowed their opponent to bring the tying run to the plate, but [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] struck out Maners to close the game.

Three Tigers recorded multiple hits in the game, with Foster leading the way with a 4-for-4 night. Freshmen Stanfield and Irish each had two hits and two RBI. Starting pitcher [autotag]Konnor Copeland[/autotag] pitched five innings of two-hit baseball, striking out six batters. [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag] earned the win by allowing one hit in 1.0 innings of work, making way for Cannon to earn his third save of the season.

Auburn will welcome Southeastern Louisiana to Plainsman Park to begin a three-game series with the Lions on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. Southeastern is currently 9-4, and most recently won a midweek contest at Alabama A&M, 14-0 on Wednesday.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=691343809]