After an up-and-down freshman season, Daniel Sprinkle’s sophomore season has not started the way Auburn hoped.
Sprinkle entered Auburn’s tilt vs. Samford with a 9.64 ERA. That ERA would only climb Tuesday.
Sprinkle allowed six runs on four hits in just one third of an inning as Samford jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning on its way to a 7-6 victory over Auburn.
After climbing out of a 7-0 hole just six days ago vs. Florida A&M, the six run deficit proved to be too much on this day.
Samford sent 10 batters to the plate in its six-run first inning. Troy Dixon, who entered the game with a .056 batting average, smacked a two-run double over Auburn center fielder Jonah Todd’s head to start the scoring barrage for the Bulldogs. Jordan Fucci followed with a two-run single to extend the lead to 4-0 and chase Sprinkle from the game.
Corey Herndon relieved Sprinkle and allowed a sacrifice fly to Anthony Mulrine. On the fly ball, Todd appeared to forget the number of outs in the inning, which allowed a second Samford run to score from second.
“Samford was ready to play and we were not. They punched us in the mouth really good,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “I like the makeup of our club, we kind of rallied and hung in there.”
“We had four to five disadvantaged counts and ball hit hard has been a theme to this point in our pitching staff. Love everyone of them and believe in them but it’s not happening for them right now.”
Auburn would fight back with five runs in the fourth, highlighted by a two-out, three-run double by Daniel Robert, who finished the day 3-for-4 and boosted his average to .462.
The Tigers had a base runner in four of the final five innings, but could never push across the game-tying run.
“Once you give up six in the first, you’re basically under the understanding, as a pitching coach, we cannot give up any more runs,” Thompson said. “We did wind up giving up one more in the seventh with two outs, two strikes, and we didn't execute a pitch and I tip my cap to their guy.”
Trailing 7-5, Jay Estes and Robert started the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back singles, setting up what looked like a potential ninth-inning comeback for Auburn. The Tigers never got the tying run into scoring position, as Samford closer Wyatt Burns picked up his third save of the season.
Auburn’s bullpen performed magnificently, giving the Tigers 8.1 innings and allowing just one run. Corey Herndon held the Bulldogs scoreless over a career-high 3.2 innings. He allowed three hits and struck out two. Gabe Klobosits bounced back from his one inning, three run outing vs. Florida A&M with 2.2 innings and allowing just one run. He gave up five hits and struck out three. Calvin Coker completed the day for Auburn with 2.1 hitless innings while striking out two.
Dixon and Fucci finished the day with two RBI for the Bulldogs, who improved to 3-4 this season. Tristan Widra picked up the win out of the bullpen for Samford.
“A club that wanted it more won the ballgame today,” Auburn’s second-year coach said.
Auburn (7-2) will look to return to its winning ways when it opens a weekend series with Lipscomb on Friday. First pitch from Plainsman Park is set for 2 p.m. Auburn ace Keegan Thompson (2-0) will be on the mound for the Tigers.
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