No. 5 Auburn’s offensive struggles continued on the last day of the Iron Bowl series, as the Tigers managed just two hits in a 3-1 loss to No. 22 Alabama at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Despite a strong showing on the mound, Auburn couldn’t generate enough offense to avoid a sweep. The Tigers held Alabama to just four hits, but the Crimson Tide broke through late, scoring two runs in the eighth inning to take command of the game.
Auburn took momentum first for the third straight game, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Chris Rembert and Chase Fralick were both hit by pitches, and Rembert came around to score from second on Eric Guevara’s single to right field.
Starting pitcher Alex Petrovic kept Alabama hitless through two innings before a misplayed popup in the third dropped in front of home plate, ending in a double for Luke Vaughn. The Crimson Tide was able to tie the score up later in the inning via a two-out single to left field by Justin Lebron.
The Tigers had an opportunity in the fifth, after a hit-by-pitch and a walk, but reliever Ashton Crowther worked around a few pitching mistakes, with a groundout and a line drive to keep the game tied.
Auburn’s second and final hit came in the sixth when Eddie Madrigal started off the inning with a single, but the Tigers failed to capitalize. A strikeout, groundout, and line out ended the spark, killing any offensive momentum. Petrovic pitched a solid outing, throwing five innings while allowing three hits and striking out six Alabama hitters at the plate. Freshman LJ Cormier followed on the mound with two scoreless innings, getting six of the seven batters out while working around a hit batter in the seventh.
Auburn got another chance at the plate when Alabama pitcher Matthew Heiberger hit Guevara and Madrigal on consecutive pitches. However, the Tigers grounded into a double play on the very next pitch, squandering another scoring chance.
Alabama broke the tie in the bottom of the inning without recording a hit. The run scored against reliever Garrett Brewer, coming off of a hit batter, stolen base, and back-to-back wild pitches. The Tide then scored their second run of the inning off of Will Plattner’s RBI single. Auburn was shut down in the top of the inning by Alabama closer Hagan Banks, who also earned the win in game two of the series. The Auburn bats will need to find a way to wake up as SEC play continues, or the Tigers will continue to suffer a similar fate.
“It has to get better as we move through these next seven weeks of SEC play,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said.
Auburn will look to regroup as the Tigers travel travel to Atlanta to face No. 3 Georgia Tech on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT at Russ Chandler Stadium.
