Auburn’s offense was unable to get going in the decisive game three against Alabama as the Tigers fell 6-1 Sunday in Tuscaloosa.
The Tigers managed six hits and five walks but went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position as they failed to take advantage of their scoring opportunities.
“A couple double plays were back-breaking in the game, momentum changers,” Auburn head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] said. “They pitched well enough to win. We moderately pitched better but we’ve got to continue to grow.”
Auburn fell to 20-15-1 overall and 5-10 in SEC play with the loss and have now lost their last three conference series.
“You’re playing your rival,” Thompson said. “You’ve got to be able to wear it. If you’re not where you want to be, you’ve got to keep fighting and keep going, take care of each other, keep practicing hard until we can grow, get better and be more competitive in this league.”
Auburn opened the scoring in the top of the fourth when [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag] drew a two-out walk, stole second, and came around to score on a [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] single.
Auburn starter [autotag]Christian Herberholz[/autotag] cruised through the first four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. He let the first two batters reach and was pulled for [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag], who was unable to stop the rally.
He hit the first batter to load the bases and walked in the game-tying run before surrendering a two-RBI single that gave the Crimson Tide a 3-1 lead.
They stretched it out to a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning when Drew Williamson stole home with two outs. They added two more runs in the eighth inning with a two-out double and triple to put the game away.
Auburn will return to action Tuesday when they take on Samford. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be on the SEC Network.
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