Auburn baseball fought and scored runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but dropped the series finale against Missouri 4-3 Saturday at Taylor Stadium.
Freshman Casey Mize came in to relieve starting pitcher Andrew Mitchell in the fifth with two on and one out, escaping the inning safely. Mize struck out six, walked none and allowed just two hits over 3.2 relief innings pitched.
The Tigers scored their first run on an RBI groundout by Kyler Deese in the seventh inning. Niko Buentello hit a sacrifice fly for Auburn’s second run. An RBI single Cody Nulph cut Auburn’s deficit 4-3 with two on and one out, but the Tigers were unable to produce more runs for a rally.
Buentello’s team-best 38th RBI is tied with Daniel Robert’s team-best total from the 2015 season.
“We battled,” said Auburn coach Butch Thompson. “Having a couple guys out made it tougher to create offense today. We battled hard.
“It feels like this has happened a lot to us being on the short end, but our guys battled hard,” Thompson said. “I was proud of that.”
Jackson Burgreen led the team with three hits. Jordan Ebert hit two doubles, giving him 11 on the season.
Mitchell (4-2) took the loss. In 4.1 innings pitched, he allowed three runs on four hits, walked four and struck out four.
Missouri scored their first run in the first inning. They took a 3-0 lead in the second with a 2-run home run by Brett Bond.
Mizzou’s starting pitcher Michael Plassmeyer got the win, improving to 3-2. Auburn fell to 15-17 on the season, 3-9 in SEC play. They return to action Tuesday at Kennesaw State. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with a scheduled 5 p.m. start.
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.
