In a 5-5 ballgame at the bottom of the ninth, UAB’s Wesley Helms blasted a shot to left-center field, scoring Braxton Brooks to give the Blazers a 6-5 walk-off win over No. 22 Auburn on Wednesday night at Regions Field.
The loss ended the Tigers’ 10-game winning streak.
After collecting 13 or more hits in the last five games and outscoring its opponents 43-19 last week, Auburn left 11 runners on base and collected nine hits compared to the Blazers’ 11.
The Tigers were trailing, 5-4, in the top of the eighth when Lucas Steele doubled down the left field line to score pinch-runner Bristol Carter to tie it up after giving up a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Both teams struck in the first inning as Eric Snow hammered a solo shot to left field on the second pitch of the ballgame. Two batters later, Cooper McMurray followed with a longball of his own to give the Tigers a 2-0 edge.
But UAB responded with three runs of its own in the first on a pair of RBI singles.
Another McMurray homer in the fourth gave the Tigers a one-run lead, though UAB followed with another run on a bases-loaded groundout. Steele singled to center field, scoring Derric Fabian to give the Tigers another one-run lead at the end of the sixth.
At the plate, McMurray led the Tigers with a pair of home runs, with Steele and Chase Fralick recording two hits apiece.
Andreas Alvarez got the nod for the Tigers and went 3.1 innings while giving up four runs on six hits. Carson Myers threw eight pitches in 0.2 innings, making way for Alex Petrovic to come in. He ended his night giving up a run on three hits in 2.1 innings. Parker Carlson recorded the loss, giving up one hit and one run in 2.1 innings. Jett Johnston finished the ninth, giving up a hit and a walk before Helms’ walk-off single.
The Tigers’ pitching staff gave up two extra-base hits with five walks and two wild pitches.
Auburn will look to bounce back with a weekend series against Old Dominion beginning on Friday, with the first pitch set for 6 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on SECN+.
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