Auburn dropped the rubber match of the three-game series against Sacramento State, 7-6 in 12 innings, Sunday, Feb. 21, and lost the opening series of the year in the process.
The game started fast as Sacramento State put two runs on the board in the top of the first inning. Auburn was able to respond with three runs of its own in bottom of the first, all coming off a Niko Buentello home run, his second of the weekend.
The Tigers entered the second inning with a 3-2 lead, but that quickly dissipated as the Hornets put another two runs on the board. The next two runs of the game came from Auburn in the bottom of the third inning.
Both teams went scoreless until Auburn tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 6-2 game.
Following the theme of Saturday’s game, the Tigers went cold in the seventh, and the Hornets got hot in the eighth. Sacramento State was able to hold Auburn to two hits in the final six innings of the game, while the Hornets brought in two runs in the eighth to tie it.
Following the eighth inning neither team was able to pull in a run, eventually leading into extra innings. Sacramento State scored one run in the top of the twelfth, and the game ended as Kyler Deese hit a ground ball to second leading to a double play.
This makes it the second game in a row where the Tigers lost while holding a lead through the seventh inning. The Tigers only lost three in that same category all of last year.
Following the loss, Auburn coach Butch Thompson cited the lack of pitching depth as an issue.
“I felt like from the eighth inning and on we had our hands full," Thompson said. "I felt that [pitchers Casey Mize and Ben Braymer] were going to get us close to finishing the ball game. We still have five more games standing right in front of us this week, to allow us to keep unveiling our pitchers. Even [Octavio Rodriguez] did a decent job coming in there at the end because Casey was at 33 pitches, and we didn't want to throw him anymore. I was really concerned trying to put ourselves in the best position to win the ballgame today, and that is why I trotted them back out.”
Thompson also said he plans to “circle the wagons” this week to determine his rotation over the next five games.
The Tigers return to action Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 3 p.m. in Plainsman Park against Kennesaw State.
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