It was a tale of two different pitching stories Saturday for Auburn. The Tigers and George Washington split a doubleheader, Auburn taking game one 2-0 and the Colonials taking game two 9-5.
“It was a long day,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “Our goal today was to see if you could focus over a long period of time. Two nine-inning games is new for us with this team from starting in January. We played so clean in that first game, a 2-0 ballgame. We had a 9-0 game and then a 2-0 game, and both games were pitched beautifully, defended beautifully and I thought we hit the ball hard.”
In game one, Casey Mize and Cole Lipscomb dominated on the mound for Auburn. Mize (1-0) fired five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out seven.
Lipscomb came out of the bullpen and threw four hit-less innings, striking out four and walking just one to pick up the second save of his career.
Mize and Lipscomb combined to set down 16 straight George Washington batters in between the third and eighth innings.
All of Auburn’s offense was supplied in the fifth inning as Blake Logan and Luke Jarvis each picked up a two-out RBI single.
After yesterday’s 9-0 win and Saturday's 2-0 win, Auburn began the season with back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1928.
George Washington starter Brady Renner held the Tigers scoreless for four innings before allowing the two runs in the fifth. He struck out three with no walks in five innings of work.
In game two, the Tigers went to the ninth inning with a 5-4 lead, but could not close the door as relievers Daniel Sprinkle and Ryan Watson were roughed up for five runs on six hits.
“We needed to see these guys in the moment, we did, and we’ll adjust moving forward,” Thompson said. “I wanted this to be a boost moment for (Sprinkle). He’ll get some more opportunities and I just love how hard he works.”
“That was just an example of where he needs to go and a couple of things he needs to keep growing at if he wants to be in there.”
Sprinkle (0-1) allowed four runs on four hits in 1.2 innings while Watson allowed a run on two hits in 0.2 innings.
Dylan Ingram finished 2-3, driving in three runs, two in the third inning on a two-out double and one in the fifth on a two-out single.
Auburn starter Gabe Klobosits gave up two runs on five hits in four innings of work in game two. Reliever Calvin Coke gave Auburn 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits.
Junior Jay Estes was 3-of-5 in game two and drove in what appeared to be the winning run in the eighth inning on a two-out RBI single.
George Washington closer Eddie Muhl (1-0) earned the win, firing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Mark Osis, Bobby Campbell and Robbie Metz each had two RBI for the Colonials.
Auburn (2-1) and George Washington (1-2) will close their four-game series Sunday at 12 p.m. at Plainsman Park.
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