No. 5 Auburn baseball scored just four runs on 12 hits in three games against No. 22 Alabama this weekend at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, dropping its second consecutive conference series and falling victim to its first season sweep in the all-time series with its archrival since 2002.
Auburn dropped game one 11-1 in an eight-inning run-rule affair, fell in a 3-2 heartbreaker on Saturday and capped off the weekend with a fitting 3-1 loss on Sunday.
Here is a recap from the Tigers’ weekend:
Game one
Auburn’s bats were silent as it mustered only a trio of hits in an eight-inning 11-1 loss to the Crimson Tide on Friday night.
Auburn put the leadoff man on base five times in eight innings but cashed in only once, going 2-for-19 with runners on base and 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position while committing two errors.
Alabama blasted three home runs, including six extra-base hits, while scoring at least one run across the final four frames.
Auburn struck first in the top when Bristol Carter led off with a walk and was plated on a two-out double from Eric Guevara down the line in left.
Alabama answered in the home half of the second with a pair of runs. Will Platner reached on an error by Auburn’s Chris Rembert at second base, and Luke Vaughn blasted a two-run homer off of Auburn starter Jake Marciano for the early lead.
After a pair of scoreless innings from both squads, Alabama’s Bryce Fowler belted a solo shot in the fifth to put Alabama ahead 3-1.
Vaughn barreled a two-out RBI double in the sixth to score Justin Osterhouse and give the Crimson Tide a 4-1 lead, also ending Marciano’s night.
Marciano fell to 3-1 after giving up six hits and four runs (two earned) with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.
Alabama broke the game open with four runs in the seventh after a leadoff single and a double sparked the innings' scoring efforts. Jason Toress barreled a one-out single to right to clear the bases before John Lemm blasted a solo shot over the wall in center.
Alabama ended the game early, adding three more runs on five singles in the bottom of the eighth off Justice de Jong and Connor Gatwood.
Game two
With things knotted at two apiece in the ninth, Alabama delivered consecutive doubles to walk off the Tigers 3-2 and clinch the series.
Carter scored Auburn’s first run after a leadoff walk in the first – identical to game one. He advanced to scoring position on a Rembert single and stole third, where he later scored from on a passed ball.
Auburn starter Jackson Sanders held the Crimson Tide at bay for the first three frames before giving up a pair of runs in the fourth. Alabama tied it at 1-1 after a couple of singles and a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Auburn shortstop Brandon McCraine committed an error, extending the inning and allowing Alabama to take a 2-1 lead after an infield single.
Sanders’ night came to an end after five innings, where he allowed just one earned run with six strikeouts and seven hits.
Ryan Hetzler relieved Sanders in the sixth and worked a scoreless frame after Carter hauled in a popfly in center and hosed an eager Osterhouse at third for an inning-ending double play.
Auburn squared things up at two apiece after Logan Gregorio’s sacrifice fly to center scored McCraine, who led the inning off with a single and moved to third on an Eddie Madrigal single.
After Alabama put its first two batters aboard in the seventh, Hetzler buckled down and retired the side to keep things even.
Auburn left its sixth and seventh runners on base across the final two frames before Alabama Brennan Holt and Bryce Fowler traded places in the ninth after consecutive doubles – the latter a walk-off one-RBI double.
Game three
It was much of the same for Auburn at the plate, recording just two hits en route to a 3-1 loss on Sunday, falling victim to its first sweep since April of last season.
Auburn’s pitching staff surrendered just four hits on the day, but issued four walks and a pair of costly wild pitches, giving way for the Crimson Tide’s two-run victory.
Just like the previous two games, Auburn struck first as Guevara singled through the right side to plate Rembert, who reached earlier in the frame on a hit by pitch.
Auburn starter Alex Petrovic tossed a pair of scoreless innings before giving up a run on two hits in the third. A lead-off double to the catcher (yes, the catcher) on a miscommunication play from the Tigers’ infield allowed Alabama’s Justin Lebron to drive in a run to knot things up through three.
Petrovic and reliever LJ Cormier combined to hold the Crimson Tide hitless in the fifth through the seventh frames before Garrett Brewer took the rubber in the eighth in hopes of keeping the home squad at bay.
However, a leadoff walk, a steal and back-to-back wild pitches allowed the Alabama offense to score a run before adding another on a bloop single to center field.
Auburn went down in order in its half of the ninth, ending the day with eight runners stranded and a 2-for-26 mark at the plate.
The Tigers will travel to Russ Chandler Stadium for a Midweek tilt with No. 3 Georgia Tech on Tuesday, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.
On Tuesday, the Crimson Tide travel to Jacksonville to square off with Jacksonville State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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