Despite being down to its final strike in the ninth inning, Auburn came from behind to earn a 6-5 victory over Texas A&M in 10 innings.
It was the Tigers’ first true road test of the season, and it came in a ballpark in which they have not earned a series win since 2013.
"We talked about how this needed to be a throwdown," said Auburn head coach Butch Thompson. "We got back to some clean baseball, and we just fought."
Auburn started Hayden Mullins on the mound, who came into the game with a 3.65 ERA. Mullins struck out five, while giving up four hits and one second-inning run.
In the first two innings, the Tigers could only muster one hit, a first-inning single by Sonny DiChiara.
In the third inning, however, the Tigers’ bats came alive. Kason Howell, DiChiara, and Brooks Carlson combined to bat home three two-out runs in the frame, giving the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Trouble would soon find the Tigers, however, as Mullins was forced to leave the game in the fourth after being hit in the face with a line drive.
Carson Skipper took over, inducing a double play and stranding two Aggie runners in the fourth.
Skipper’s fifth inning was not as successful. A lead-off walk and a hit batsman came around to score for the Aggies, and Texas A&M tied the game at three.
It seemed as if Auburn would retake the lead in the sixth when the Tigers loaded the bases with one out. However, two consecutive strikeouts of Rambusch and Howell, both on questionable check swing calls, ended Auburn’s threat. Both batters were visibly upset at the umpiring crew after the strike three calls.
With the momentum slowly shifting toward the Aggies, Skipper returned for his third inning of work in the bottom of the sixth. After a one-out single, the Aggies dealt the game’s biggest blow up to that point: a two-run home run by Dylan Rock to give Texas A&M its first lead of the game.
In the ninth, down 5-3, Auburn rallied. Rambusch singled with one out and Sonny DiChiara followed with a single to put the tying run at first. With two outs, Carlson was Auburn’s last hope at the plate.
"The biggest thing late in the game was just trying to get the at-bat to the next guy, not trying to do too much in a big situation," Carlson said. "We did just that and I am proud to be a part of that. That was a team win.”
With the game on the line, Carlson worked the count full. Then, down to his last strike, he doubled down the right-field line to bring home both runners and tie the game.
"It's special," Carlson said. "I've always wanted to be a part of something like this. Especially in my last year, it's an absolute blessing to do something like this."
Carlson was followed up by Mason Land who singled to put runners on the corners, with the go-ahead run at third base. Then, controversy erupted.
After the hit, the crew of umpires got together to inspect Land’s bat. After close inspection of the bat and a seven-minute review, Land was called out to end Auburn’s ninth-inning rally.
A dumbfounded Thompson emerged from the Auburn dugout to seek an explanation. It took nearly three more minutes for Thompson to return to the dugout after receiving a description of the umpires’ ruling.
With Jordan Armstrong pitching in the bottom of the inning, the Aggies got a lead-off single from Rock. Armstrong, however, struck out his next two batters and Rock was caught stealing to end the threat and send Auburn to its third extra-inning game of the season.
"It was an unbelievable feeling," Armstrong said. "Coming into the game, I knew I just had to go out there and compete and give my team a chance. When we came into the ninth inning, I knew I just had to throw another zero up on the board to give us some momentum. I believed in everyone that came up to the plate. I thought that the comeback was going to happen, and it did."
Auburn’s tenth inning began with Brody Moore getting hit by a pitch and Nate LaRue reaching on a Texas A&M error, putting two runners on with no outs.
The Tigers, who left 11 on base, were in danger of wasting the opportunity when Moore was forced out at third on a Bello bunt attempt, and Cam Hill struck out.
Instead, Rambusch seized the opportunity. After extending his hitting streak to 12 games earlier in the contest, he singled home LaRue with two outs to put the Tigers up 6-5.
"We stayed in the game," Rambusch said. "Everyone kept their heads up, and when you do that, you never know what can happen late in the game. It was really just team at-bats. I was just trying to get a barrel on the ball with runners in scoring position."
With a one-run lead in the 10th, Auburn turned to its closer, Blake Burkhalter. After pitching 2.2 innings on Tuesday, Burkhalter made quick work of the Aggies in an anticlimactic frame, striking out the side and securing the win for Auburn.
Auburn (16-6, 2-2 SEC) will look for the series win on Saturday, as right-hander Trace Bright will take the mound for the Tigers. The Aggies (13-8, 2-2 SEC) will start right-hander Micah Dallas. First pitch from Blue Bell Park will be at 2 p.m. CST.
“What I care about is how these guys are fighting,” Thompson said. “And we get a chance to throw down again tomorrow."
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Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @mattwallaceAU
