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A spirit that is not afraid

Lights out: Auburn records 17 Ks in midweek win over Samford

<p>Sonny DiChiara (17) fields first base against Samford on April 12, 2022 at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.</p>

Sonny DiChiara (17) fields first base against Samford on April 12, 2022 at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.

It was the classic trap game for Auburn. A midweek contest scheduled in between two series against the defending national runners-up and defending national champions could have been easy to overlook.

In the end, the No. 17 Tigers (23-10) took care of business, earning a 4-1 victory over Samford (15-15) at Plainsman Park on Tuesday night. 

“Really thankful for the win,” said Auburn head coach Butch Thompson. “Kind of workman-like for the whole night.”

A midweek win is nothing to scoff at. Often, the Tuesday night games can produce unexpected results - just ask No. 1 Tennessee, who suffered a stunning loss to Tennessee Tech while Auburn and Samford were in action.

The Tigers were led by their pitching staff. The trio of Mason Barnett, Chase Allsup and Jordan Armstrong combined for 17 strikeouts, an impressive feat no matter the opponent.

“I sat around and didn’t have to do much,” said Auburn center fielder Kason Howell. “That’s a testament to our pitchers. They got a lot of swings and misses, and they had some walks, but their stuff was pretty on.”

It seemed as if a long night was ahead for the Tigers when starter Mason Barnett walked the first two batters, then allowed an infield single to the third. 

“Key points or challenges for us were pitchers are always vulnerable coming right out of the gate,” Thompson said. “Mason was not his best in a start.”

One play, however, may have changed the course of Barnett’s outing. With the bases loaded and no outs, Barnett induced a ground-ball double play. A run scored for Samford, but suddenly, it seemed as if Barnett found his groove.

After giving up the third base on balls in the first inning, Barnett got out of the jam, allowing only the one run.

Barnett retired 12 of the next 14 batters he faced and did not walk another to hold the Bulldogs at bay. Barnett struck out six in his five innings of work.

“I thought fourth or fifth inning, it got pretty good,” Thompson said. “Even in the second or third we were a hit away from moving on and introducing the bullpen early, but I thought he really pulled it back together and shaped himself up nicely to get us through five innings.”


Mason Barnett (18) pitches against Samford on April 12, 2022 at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.


Offensively, it was not the most exciting performance by the Tigers. Auburn never scored more than once in an inning and only had eight hits in the game. The Tigers, however, were able manufacture all the runs that were necessary to pick up the win.

To start the scoring for Auburn in the third inning, Howell singled and stole second before he was driven in on an RBI single by Cam Hill to tie the game at one. 

In the fifth, Auburn only had one hit, but it was a Brody Moore RBI single. Moore’s hit capitalized on two hit batsmen and a walk.

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In the seventh, Howell tripled to lead off the inning, then scored on a Moore groundout.

The Tigers’ biggest swing came in the eighth inning when Bobby Peirce hit a 413-foot home run over the green monster in left field. His first long ball of the season provided Auburn with a 4-1 cushion that held up.



“Bobby is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around,” Howell said. “So for him to get his opportunity and take hold of it like he has was just awesome to watch. There’s no one we’re cheering for more than Bobby Peirce.”

As the Auburn offense was slowly separating itself from the Bulldogs, the Tigers’ pitching staff was dealing.

With a 2-1 lead in the sixth, Auburn called upon Chase Allsup to relieve Barnett. Allsup pitched two innings, giving up just one hit and striking out five.

“Allsup was good again,” Thompson said. “He can throw a couple of innings and not walk batters. That’s good. We still feel like we’ve got him for the weekend. He gave us a couple of decent innings there.”

In the eighth, Jordan Armstrong was called upon to pitch. It was a little bit of deja vu for Auburn fans when Armstrong walked the first two batters he faced after Barnett had done the same thing in the first inning. 

The Tigers seemed to be in trouble, as the tying run was on base and the go-ahead run was at the plate, but for those who doubted the lead’s security, Armstrong had an emphatic response.

Against Armstrong, Samford’s offense did not put another ball in play. Armstrong struck out six consecutive batters to close out the game, earning his first save of the season.

“[Jordan Armstrong] had first and second with nobody out and he winds up throwing two innings with six strikeouts,” Thompson said. “He did a nice job from there.”

In total, Auburn's pitching staff recorded 17 outs via strikeout, with only 10 outs recorded in the field. 11 of Samford's last 12 batters struck out. 


Brody Moore (4) against Samford on April 12, 2022 in Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala.


Next, the Tigers, winners of three consecutive SEC series, will hit the road again to face Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

The Tigers, who are no strangers to difficult road trips, do not expect to be phased by the environment. With series wins in College Station and Baton Rouge already on its resume, Auburn is confident it can replicate that success in Starkville.

“The good thing about this team is we went to LSU and got it done, at [Texas] A&M we got it done,” Howell said. “It’s just another away series. Obviously, they’ve got a pretty nice park and a lot of rowdy fans, but I think we’ve got a good handle of things so I’m looking forward to it.”

The series, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, will begin at 7 p.m. CST on Thursday night and will be televised on SEC Network.


Matthew Wallace | Assistant Sports Editor

Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.

Twitter: @mattwallaceAU


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