Senior starting pitcher Dillon Ortman picked up his second win of the year with a career-high 11-strikeout performance to earn Auburn baseball a 2-1 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
"My goal coming into to it wasn't 11 K's," Ortman said "It was to get first pitch strikes and get quick outs."
Although Ortman had a career night on the mound, the Tigers continued to struggle on offense with only three hits.
The first three innings were 1-2-3 innings between both teams.
Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Anfernee Grier led off with a single up the middle. Grier is the only Auburn player to have a hit in all five games this season.
Grier then went for the steal and was initially called out but Auburn head coach Sunny Golloway and other umpires saw otherwise and the call was overturned. Dan Glevenyak then reached second on a throwing error by the third baseman, which scored Grier.
The fifth and sixth were also 1-2-3 innings for both teams.
In the bottom of the seventh, Dan Glevenyak started with a single up the middle and Ryan Tella advanced him with a sacrifice bunt. Keegan Thompson then drove in Glevenyak with an RBI single.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff's lone run came in the eighth when Kirby Campbell hit an RBI single to score Mike Wieland. Ortman then got into a jam with runners on first and third and a full count.
Ortman responded by throwing a breaking ball to strike out the batter and end the inning.
"That felt great," Ortman said. "I heard Coach Golloway say go get this guy this is your guy and I got him."
Terrance Dedrick came on to close it and earned the save with three consecutive strikeouts while blowing fastballs past each hitter.
"We can flat play defense. If we pitch and we play defense we'll be in every game," Golloway said. "The hitting will come."
Auburn's next game in the Tiger Classic is tomorrow against California at 6 p.m.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
