Auburn was unable to get a sweep in its first home SEC series, suffering a 24-7, eight-inning loss to Georgia in the finale of a three-game series. It was the Tigers’ first run-rule loss of the season, and it came in a game in which Auburn was down by just one after seven innings.
The 24 runs given up by Auburn (16-7-1, 2-4 SEC) were the most the Tigers have surrendered since giving up 24 runs to Florida on April 11, 2009. Not even that game, however, had an inning like the disastrous eighth that befell the Tigers on Saturday.
“We’ve just got to keep working past it,” said head coach Butch Thompson. “As to make a business decision, I’d rather lose by 20 than as I would one. So I guess that’s what happened today. We just need guys to string a little bit longer.”
Auburn, thin on pitching due to the injury to Joseph Gonzalez, simply ran out of arms in the eighth inning. What was a one-run deficit entering the frame was 17 runs by the time the Tigers came to bat.
The Tigers used four different pitchers in the eighth: Konner Copeland, Trevor Horne, Cameron Keshock and Chase Isbell. The quartet combined to give up 16 runs and eight hits, while issuing six walks and hitting two batsmen.
19 Bulldogs came to the plate in the eighth, as Georgia (15-9, 1-5 SEC) went through its order twice.
The loss of Gonzalez, who averaged over five innings per start last season, has greatly hurt the depth of Auburn’s pitching staff. Thompson, however, refused to use the injury as an excuse.
“We can’t make an excuse to sit there and the Joseph not being here story,” Thompson said. “That’s past, that’s way past, we’re aware.”
In the game, six Bulldogs touched the plate at least three times. Three had three or more hits in the contest.
Auburn started freshman Zach Crotchfelt (0-2) on the mound. In 2.1 innings, Crotchfelt gave up six hits and five runs, four of which were earned. He exited the game in the third with Auburn down 5-0 and took the loss.
“Crotchfelt, we tried to hang in there,” Thompson said. “I thought we hung in there as long as we possibly could.”
Auburn had to use seven pitchers in the game, and 12 in the series. Of the seven pitchers Auburn used in the game, each gave up at least one earned run, while five gave up three or more runs.
Down 8-2 after 4.5 innings, Auburn fought its way back to a one-run deficit. The big blow in Auburn’s comeback attempt was a three-run moonshot homer by Bryson Ware, his team-leading 11th of the season. Ware’s home run traveled 427 feet and brought Auburn’s deficit to just 8-7.
It looked as if Auburn had a chance to earn its third comeback win over Georgia in as many days, but the pitching depth simply did not hold up in the eighth.
“We got down 8-2, I was so excited our guys made it 8-7,” Thompson said. “We wound up every pitcher available on the 27-man roster and we went for it right in that situation to see if that was enough and needed some new pieces to bridge us or help us finish and was not able to do that, not close.”
On a positive note for Auburn, several players who had been injured were able to see action in the field. Cooper McMurray played at first base late in the game, while Bobby Peirce made his return to the lineup in the series. Additionally, Ike Irish was put in at catcher for the first time in his Auburn career.
“My positives today was: Ike Irish got to catch for the very first time. McMurray got on the field at first base. Bobby (Peirce) got through three games at DH and got to be in there,” Thompson said. “I think we are closer…maybe next week to being back at full strength or as strong as we feel we can get our lineup.”
Auburn will return to SEC action with a road series at No. 3 Florida beginning on Friday — its second road series against a top-10 foe in the first three weekends of conference play.
Before the Tigers continue SEC play, they will have a non-conference contest on Tuesday night at Plainsman Park against North Alabama, a team that the Tigers defeated 13-1 earlier this season. The first pitch between the Tigers and Lions will be at 6 p.m. CST and will be shown on the SEC Network+.
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Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @mattwallaceAU
