AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - After their electric 2022 season and summer, the Auburn Tigers lost a lot of key players to the MLB draft, making the team’s fate unknown. To start their preseason, the Tigers faced the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in a close battle at Plainsman Field.
The Bulldogs limited the Tigers’ offense to three runs, but Auburn managed five scoring plays in the tenth. Auburn started the game off slow, but they generated several scoring chances in the later half of the game. With a slight edge over the Bulldogs, the Tigers pulled off a 12-11 win over Louisiana Tech.
During the fall exhibition game, Auburn introduced several new players that played a crucial role in their win.
Outfielder Justin Kirby made his first appearance as an Auburn Tiger as a transfer from Kent State. Kirby scores the Tigers’ first run of the game in the second inning. Following his lead, freshman Ike Irish hits a home run in the bottom of the third. The young catcher produced multiple scoring plays for Auburn.
Freshman infielder Gavin Miller and freshman outfielder Drew Nelson showcased their ability with several good scoring plays. Freshman outfielders Chris Stanfield and Alex Wade helped generate some offense as their first time performing on Hitchcock field.
Brody Wortham, the transfer from West Georgia, scored the play that gave Auburn the lead over Louisiana Tech in the eleventh inning.
The Tigers gave their new and returning pitchers an opportunity to pitch from the mound.
Auburn alternated between pitchers throughout the game. Junior Joseph Gonzalez started for the Tigers in the first inning, keeping the Bulldogs at only three runs. Freshman Zach Crotchfelt took Gonzalez’s spot on the mound for the second inning, not letting the Bulldogs score.
The young sophomore Chase Allsup was the pitcher for the third, fourth, and fifth inning. In the sixth inning, sixth-year Tommy Sheehan kept calm and only let Louisiana Tech score once. In the seventh, Freshman Hayden Murphy threw his first pitch as an Auburn Tiger, only allowing two scoring plays.
The St. John’s River State transfer Tanner Bauman pitched for the eighth and ninth inning, preventing the Bulldogs from scoring. Following Bauman’s lead, sophomore John Armstrong kept Louisiana Tech from scoring in the tenth.
Tommy Vail, the transfer from TCU, and senior Chase Isbell maintained the Tigers’ 12-11 lead in the eleventh and twelfth inning.
The Tigers will look for another win against their in-state rival, the Crimson Tide, Friday, October 28, at 6:30 p.m. C.T.
