John Armstrong – Syndication Server

Auburn baseball loses high-scoring affair to Texas A&M

Auburn scored four runs in the 9th inning of Friday’s game, but it was not enough to take down the No. 4 Aggies

Auburn’s Ike Irish hit a grand slam in the 9th inning of Friday’s game at Texas A&M, but it was not enough to take down the No. 4 Aggies.

Texas A&M (24-3, 5-3 SEC) scored seven runs over the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings to win the high-scoring affair, 12-8. With the loss, Auburn (16-10, 1-7 SEC) has now dropped its third-straight series to open SEC play. Head coach Butch Thompson understands the frustration that his team is feeling but knows that the only cure is to keep competing.

“It’s OK to be frustrated,” Thompson said postgame. “We think a lot of ourselves. I like this roster and coaching staff. To not be able to perform and keep up with the guys in the league, it’s ok to be frustrated. You just can’t be sad and have to keep playing.”

The Aggies struck first on a two-run homer by Jace LaViolette in the 1st inning, with Auburn responding in the 2nd with a home run of their own by Cooper McMurray to cut the deficit to 2-1. Texas A&M then scored three runs to create separation from Auburn over the 3rd and 4th innings before the Tigers gained three runs back in the top of the 6th. Irish and McMurray combined to plate three runs to inch closer to the Aggies, 5-4.

Momentum was quickly taken away in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a five-run surge by Texas A&M. The headliner of the inning was a three-run home run by Caden Sorrell. Mixed in with two RBI singles, the Aggies moved out to a 10-4 lead going to the 7th inning.

Texas A&M used two solo home runs over the next two innings to secure the win, with Irish’s grand slam cutting the large deficit to four runs with his late-inning grand slam.

Irish and McMurray led the team in hits by collecting three each, with Irish leading the way in RBI with five. Auburn ended the day with 12 hits as a team, but also struck out 14 times in the loss.

[autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] took the loss on the mound after allowing five runs on seven hits through 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out five. Auburn used four pitchers out of the bullpen on Friday, with [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] turning in the best outing by striking out two batters and limiting Texas A&M to one run on two hits in one complete inning of work.

Auburn looks to take a game from the Aggies on Saturday to salvage a win in the series. Game thre between Auburn and Texas A&M is set for 7 p.m. CT at Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas. SEC Network will broadcast the game live.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Recap: Auburn surrenders late home run, drops game two to No. 1 Arkansas

For the second-straight game, the No. 24 Tigers lose to the nation’s top team by one run.

For the second game in a row, No. 24 Auburn fell short of its goal of earning a win over No. 1 Arkansas.

The Tigers and Razorbacks were tied 5-5 heading into the 9th inning. After recording the first out of the inning, Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick crushed the first pitch of his at-bat over the left field wall to push the Hogs ahead. The solo home run would prove to be the decisive blow, as Arkansas earned the 6-5 win over Auburn on Friday night at Plainsman Park in Auburn.

It marks the second-straight game that Auburn has dropped a one-run decision to Arkansas, as they fell to the Razorbacks 1-0 in Thursday’s series opener.

Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] hopes to see his team continue to give solid effort despite its recent string of tough losses.

“We don’t always have control over the result or outcome, but we do our effort,” Thompson said postgame. “That’s what I have to do the best job I possibly can of right now. Hopefully they’ll bust through and it’ll go their way.”

Friday’s game would see more production from the plate, but it was not enough for Auburn to earn the victory. Each team traded blows before Helfrick’s 9th-inning home run. The Tigers struck first in the bottom of the 1st inning when a groundout by [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] allowed [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] to score, pushing Auburn ahead 1-0.

The Razorbacks answered in the top of the 2nd inning with a solo shot by Ben McLaughlin to tie the game at 1-1. Auburn responded by adding two more in the 3rd inning before the Hogs produced three runs in the 4th to take a 4-3 lead.

A throwing error in the 5th inning followed by a 6th inning RBI single by Weiss pushed Auburn ahead again, 5-4, but Arkansas would score the game’s final two runs to take the win.

Auburn got a solid outing from its pitching staff in Friday’s loss. Starter [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] allowed five hits and three runs in six innings of work. [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] allowed three hits in 2 1/3 innings, and [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] closed the game by recording the final two outs of the game. The trio combined to strike out 11 batters.

At the plate, Cooper Weiss, [autotag]Mason Maners[/autotag], and [autotag]Carter Wright[/autotag] each recorded two hits.

Auburn looks to salvage a game in its series with Arkansas on Saturday. First pitch for the final game of the series is set for 1 p.m. CT, and can be seen on SEC Network+. [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] will battle Mason Molina on the mound.

	Runs	Hits	Errors	LOB
No. 1 Arkansas	6	8	2	6
No. 24 Auburn	5	10	2	10

WP: Cooper Dossett (1-0) | LP: John Armstrong (0-1) | S: Will McEntire (2)

Recap: Auburn fails to keep up with Vanderbilt, drops Saturday contest

No. 10 Vanderbilt’s bats told the story Saturday as they blew by Auburn to earn the series win.

In game one between No. 19 Auburn and No. 10 Vanderbilt on Friday, the Tigers had a rough time trying to slow down the Commodores bats, thus falling, 11-1.

Saturday’s game provided the same storyline, as the Commodores did most of its damage in the middle innings to run away with a 13-5 series-clinching win over Auburn at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tennessee.

Vanderbilt’s bats were the headline again on Saturday, as they collected 13 runs on 17 hits. Eight of 11 Vanderbilt batters recorded at least one RBI and six of those batters recorded multiple hits. Auburn head coach Butch Thompson says that Vanderbilt’s plate success has been the difference in the series.

“They’re a handful at the plate, and we’re doing everything we can. They’re absolutely having a little bit tougher at-bats, but at the same time I think our guys are absolutely competing,” Thompson said postgame. “The difference has been their at-bats are just a tick better up and down the lineup. They linked up with two outs and made us pay.”

Auburn built momentum early on by scoring two runs in the top of the 1st inning. [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] scored on a fielding error before [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] drove home [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] with an RBI double.

Momentum was quickly taken away in the bottom half thanks to a three-run inning by the Commodores. The inning was headlined by a leadoff home run by RJ Austin to cut the Tigers’ lead to 2-1.

Both teams traded blows in the 4th inning before Vanderbilt rattled off seven runs over the 5th and 6th innings. Auburn scored two runs in the 7th inning to cut the deficit to 11-5, but Vanderbilt would deliver the final blow in the 8th inning to secure the win.

Auburn recorded eight hits in the game, with [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag] and Cooper McMurray each recording two a piece. McMurray led the team in RBI with two thanks to an RBI double and a solo home run in the 4th inning.

[autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag] took the loss for Auburn after he allowed four earned runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings. [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] closed out the 4th inning by walking two batters and allowing one hit. He also struck out two batters in his 2/3 inning effort.

The Tigers will look to salvage a game in the series on Sunday by facing Vanderbilt at at 1 p.m. CT in Nashville.

Auburn splits Saturday twin bill with UConn

After splitting Saturday’s doubleheader, No. 22 Auburn and UConn will battle for the series win on Sunday afternoon.

After rain forced the postponement of Friday’s series opener, The No. 22 Auburn Tigers finally began its three-game weekend set with UConn on Saturday by playing two games at Plainsman Park.

The Tigers and Huskies split Saturday’s action. Auburn dominated game one while UConn got revenge on the Tigers in game two. Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] was pleased with his team’s performance in game one but referenced the first inning of game two as the low point of the day.

“I thought it was the best game we played all year in the first game. It was clean on the mound. Our at-bats were good throughout the ballgame. Defensively we were good. Just all the way around I thought it was our best game. Then I thought we followed that up 45 minutes later with our worst half inning that we’ve had all year. But we got a bunch of guys in two games, and I thought they kept playing. We chased a non-competitive top of the first the entire ballgame and still had a chance.”

Here’s a rundown of how Saturday’s action played out between Auburn and UConn.

Game One: Auburn 8 UConn 1

	Runs	Hits	Errors	LOB
UConn	1	6	0	7
Auburn	8	9	1	6

WP- Chase Allsup | LP- Garrett Coe | S- John Armstrong

UConn struck first during the top of the 1st inning when Jake Studley smashed a home run to right field. The Tigers responded by scoring eight unanswered runs to win the first game of the doubleheader.

[autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] each hit a home run and sent three runs home in the game. Peirce put Auburn on the board in the bottom of the 1st inning on a groundout to 2nd base, then later hit a two-run blast in the 5th inning. For Weiss, he gave Auburn the lead in the bottom of the 3rd with a solo home run to push Auburn ahead, 2-1. His final two RBI came off of a sacrifice fly in the 5th, and a single in the 8th.

[autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] earned his first win of the season in game one. He stuck out six batters while allowing six hits and an earned run on 85 pitches.

“I loved how Chase finished the game. I thought he was getting better. I just liked how he finished strong,” Thompson said of Allsup’s outing. “I do want them coming out on the attack, and I thought that’s what Chase did. I thought he settled and we saw some growth with him.”

[autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] struck out two batters while allowing a walk and no hits to earn the save.

Game Two: UConn 8 Auburn 4

	Runs	Hits	Errors	LOB
UConn	8	12	1	9
Auburn	4	7	1	14

WP- Gabe Van Emon | LP- Joseph Gonzalez | S- Brady Afthim

Saturday’s start is one that Auburn ace [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez [/autotag]would like to forget. Gonzalez got the nod for his third start of the season on Saturday, and was forced to grab pine after allowing six earned runs on four hits in just two-thirds of an inning.

Auburn cut UConn’s lead in half in the bottom of the 1st inning thanks to two home runs by [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] and [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] to trim the Huskies lead to 6-3. UConn kept its momentum alive by scoring a run over the next two innings to seal the game. Auburn added one more run in the 8th inning on a bases-loaded walk to McMurray.

[autotag]Christian Hall[/autotag] led the team in hits with two while McMurray scored three runs. In relief, Tanner Bauman and Christian Herberholz each struck out five batters.

Auburn will conclude its series with UConn on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Carson Myers will toe the rubber for Auburn while the Huskies will send Stephen Quigley to the mound.

Auburn knocks off No. 20 Iowa behind late-inning surge

The Tigers scored six runs over the final three innings to stun Iowa on day one of the Jax College Baseball Challenge.

Opening day of the Jax College Baseball Classic in Jacksonville, Florida was filled with insanity that would last past midnight.

Auburn’s opening game of the weekend with No. 20 Iowa began over three hours later than its originally scheduled time due to delays in the first game of the day between Wichita State and Virginia. The delay appeared to cause the Tigers to begin sluggish, however, a late-inning surge would be enough to lift them to a 7-5 victory at 121 Financial Park.

Iowa starting pitcher Brody Brecht was as strong as advertised. He struck out 11 batters while allowing two hits, an earned run, and four walks in six innings of work. Brecht departed after throwing 99 pitches and hanging on to a 3-2 lead in Friday’s game, and it would not take long for Auburn to find its groove once he was out of the picture.

The Tigers stole the lead from the Hawkeyes over the final two innings thanks to three straight home runs. [autotag]Mason Maners[/autotag] welcomed Iowa’s Jack Whitlock to the game by smashing a solo home run during the first at-bat of the 7th inning to tie the game at 3-3. Three at-bats later, [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] nailed a two-run shot over the right-center field wall to push Auburn ahead, 5-3.

The party continued when [autotag]Christian Hall[/autotag] led off the 8th inning by tattooing a ball that landed just shy of the St. John’s River to extend the Tigers’ lead to 6-3. [autotag]Cooper Weiss[/autotag] capped scoring later in the inning with a sacrifice fly to score [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag].

Iowa’s Sam Petersen cut the Auburn lead to 7-5 with two outs in the 9th inning on a two-run home run, but the Hawkeyes could not manage to re-take the lead.

[autotag]Cam Tilly[/autotag] earned the win in relief for Auburn by striking out three of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work, allowing just one hit. [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] struck out two batters each in their relief appearances while allowing three combined hits. Starter [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] allowed three earned runs on five hits while striking out three batters in his second start of the season. His night was forced to end early as he threw 80 pitches over 3 1/3 innings.

Auburn returns to action Saturday to face Wichita State in day two of the Jax College Baseball Classic. First pitch is scheduled for noon CT, and will be broadcast live at D1Baseball.com and on the Auburn Sports Network.

Auburn clinches weekend series with Saturday win over Eastern Kentucky

Bobby Peirce recorded three RBI while Joseph Gonzalez tossed five innings in Saturday’s 6-1 win at Plainsman Park.

It was a cold day on the Plains, but the Auburn bats were hot.

[autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] recorded two hits as Auburn (2-0) claimed the first series win of the season by defeating Eastern Kentucky (0-2), 6-1 Saturday at Plainsman Park.

Auburn’s offense began, and ended, with Peirce on Saturday. Peirce put Auburn on the board first with a two-out triple in the 3rd inning to score [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag] and [autotag]Caden Green[/autotag] to push Auburn ahead, 2-0. He put a cap on scoring in the bottom of the 8th inning with a solo home run to extend Auburn’s lead to 6-1.

Ike Irish was Auburn’s offensive hero in Friday’s opener, and Peirce took control in game two. Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] is pleased with the versatility of his offense through two games and hopes to see the trend continue.

“Two outs, two strikes, and (Peirce) hit that triple to get us going,” Thompson said Saturday. “We really needed that. I hope that this is an offense that we can keep talking about a different guy every night. I hope that’s how we’re built.”

Following Peirce’s triple in the 3rd inning, [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag] crushed his first home run of the season over the right field wall to extend Auburn’s lead to 4-0. Auburn’s fifth run of the game came off the bat of Hernandez, who grounded out to the shortstop to allow [autotag]Sam Robertson[/autotag] to score from 3rd base.

Eastern Kentucky’s lone run was scored in the 5th inning when DJ Sullivan doubled home Santiago Peralta. Sullivan led the Colonels in hits with two.

Saturday also marked the return of [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] to the mound after missing 364 days due to a shoulder injury. He struck out two batters, walked three, and allowed an unearned run in five complete innings. [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag], [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag], and [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag] combined to strikeout seven batters through the final four innings from the bullpen. Every out that Cannon recorded in the 9th inning was a strikeout.

The Tigers go for the sweep of Eastern Kentucky Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Auburn’s [autotag]Carson Myers[/autotag] will battle EKU’s Rian Yates on the mound.

Auburn’s late rally falls short in game two loss to Mississippi State

The Tigers scored seven runs in the bottom of the 9th inning, but it wasn’t enough to earn the win.

Saturday’s middle game of Auburn’s series with Mississippi State got off to a quiet start, and it seemed as if the Tigers would remain in control for the remainder of the contest.

But a series of wild events would turn a casual Saturday into an offensive clinic that ended with Mississippi State rising victorious, 11-10 to even the series.

The Tigers held a 2-0 advantage through the first five innings of the game, but Mississippi State would blow the game open by scoring six runs in the 6th inning. They would also score three runs in the 8th, and two more in the 9th to take an 11-3 lead over Auburn as the Tigers headed into its’ final frame.

Despite digging itself into a deep hole, Auburn almost worked its’ way out of it.

Auburn would score seven runs on seven hits in the bottom of the 9th inning to cut the Bulldog advantage to one run, but a late strikeout would leave the tying run on 3rd base, ending Auburn’s threat.

“The will is good. It’s the execution, kind of the same thing from the pitching side,” head coach Butch Thompson said following Saturday’s game. “Still, we got within striking distance, still fighting, and there’s still an opportunity to win a series tomorrow, which is very important for us.”

It was business as usual for [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag], as he put Auburn on the board by hitting a home run for the second straight game. His two-run blast in the 2nd inning would give Auburn a 2-0 advantage, which is one that they would hang on to for three innings.

As the game turned to the 6th inning, Christian Herberholz would turn things over to [autotag]Tanner Bauman[/autotag] after shutting out the Bulldogs over five innings, allowing just three hits and walking one batter while striking out four. Bauman walked two of the first three batters that he would face, which caused Thompson to call on [autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] to get Auburn out of the jam.

That, however, would not work, as the Bulldogs would score four runs on his watch. The big blow would be a three-run home run by Slate Alford, which would be the final batter that Armstrong would face. [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag] would end the inning, but he would see a blemish as well by giving up a two-run home run to Amani Larry to extend Mississippi State’s lead to 6-2.

Auburn would get a run back in the 7th inning on a [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] single that scored [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag], but the Bulldogs would catch wind again in the 8th and 9th inning to climb to an 11-3 lead. Kellum Clark and Luke Hancock each hit home runs over the final two innings, with Ross Highfill adding two runs in the 8th inning on a two-RBI double.

Auburn’s furious 9th-inning rally began with a leadoff home run by Howell and would grow after Tiger batters hit in five-straight at-bats with one out in the inning. Foster, [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag], and [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] would score runs in the sequence to trim Auburn’s lead to 11-7.

Howell would contribute to the comeback once more with two outs in the inning, as his two-out triple would score three runs and clear the bases to bring the Bulldog lead to 11-10. In the next at-bat, [autotag]Ryan Dyal[/autotag] would strike out, which ended the effort.

Eight batters recorded a hit in the game for Auburn, with three batters recording two-or-more hits. Howell had the most success at the plate for Auburn, as he went 3-for-5 with four RBI.

Following Herberholz’s 5.0 outing, [autotag]Drew Nelson[/autotag] and [autotag]Chase Alsup[/autotag] would be the only relievers to pitch at least one full inning. Nelson and Isbell combined to allow five earned runs, four hits, and four walks while striking out five batters in the final two innings.

Game three between Auburn and Mississippi State is set for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch on Sunday at Plainsman Park. The game will be streamed live on 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 Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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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.

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Auburn unable to complete comeback against Georgia Tech

The Tigers came back from down 7-2 but were unable to hold onto their lead.

The Auburn Tigers erased a 7-2 deficit against Georgia Tech but were unable to hold on as Jackson Finley hit a walk-off grand slam to give the Yellow Jackers a 12-8 win Tuesday night at Russ Chandler Stadium.

The Tigers pitchers combined to issue 12 walks in the game, including two in the ninth inning and one in the 10th inning. They are now 19-13-1 overall and 4-8 in SEC play

“We’re giving a consistent effort all the way around,” head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “What I’m starting with I’ll finish with, I think our fortunes will change once we stick our head in the mitt and start locating some pitches.”

Auburn entered the seventh inning trailing 7-2 but started chipping away. They got one run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to make it 7-5 and get back in the game.

They immediately started threatening in the top of the ninth with [autotag]Bobby Pierce[/autotag] singling and [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] getting hit by a pitch. A wild pitch allowed Pierce to score and make it 7-6 with the tieing run on third with nobody out for [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag].

After working a full count he laced a home run over the left field wall to give Auburn the 8-7 lead. Their first lead since they scored a run in the top of the first.

“It’s pretty simple. Our guys always fight. We’re absolutely going to keep doing that. We’ve done it time and time again,” Thompson said. “We can’t do what we want to do until we put our face in the mitt. I don’t know any other way to slice it.”

[autotag]John Armstrong[/autotag] was going for the save in the ninth inning but walked the Yellow Jackets’ leadoff batter and gave up a single, forcing Auburn to turn to[autotag] Tanner Bauman[/autotag]. He walked his first batter to load the bases and Auburn quickly turned to [autotag]Will Cannon[/autotag].

He got a ground ball for the first out but it allowed Georgia Tech to tie the game. He then got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning and send the game to extras.

Cannon gave up a double to start the bottom of the 10th inning and after an intentional walk, he loaded the bases with another walk. It looked like he might escape another bases-loaded jam after he induced consecutive outs at home but Finley ended the game on a grand slam to send Auburn home defeated.

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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.

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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.