Auburn (20-15-1, 5-10 SEC) returned to the Plains to take on the Samford Bulldogs (28-29, 12-9 SoCon) in a midweek matchup.
Auburn gained an early lead, but Samford tied the game in the third. However, Samford couldn’t keep up with the Tigers’ electric offense, losing the game 13-3.
Auburn’s pitching staff had a good night, allowing only nine hits and three runs. The Tigers’ five pitchers recorded 10 strikeouts with three walks in eight innings.
“Our first three pitchers were freshmen there, so they’re still taking a step, and tonight was a step forward,” said head coach Butch Thompson. “We didn’t issue walks or help their offense a whole lot. All these are little, small, modest growths, and they kept them at bay enough and allowed the offense to hook it up there the last two innings.”
LHP Zach Crotchfelt took the mound first for Auburn — his fifth start of the season. In one inning, Crotchfelt recorded three strikeouts and two walks with no hits or runs.
RHP Hayden Murphy relieved Crotchfelt, pitching 3.1 innings. Allowing six hits and three runs, Murphy racked up two strikeouts, no walks and three earned runs. Murphy earned his first career win as a Tiger (1-0).
LHP Drew Nelson replaced Murphy in the fifth, pitching 1.2 innings. Allowing one hit and no runs, Nelson ended his outing with one strikeout, no walks and no earned runs.
RHP Parker Carlson took over for Nelson in the seventh. Carlson recorded two strikeouts and one walk, allowing one hit and no runs in 1.1 innings.
In the eighth, RHP John Armstrong relieved Carlson on the mound. Armstrong had two strikeouts, no walks and no earned runs in 0.2 innings. His outing earned him his second save of the season.
The Tigers had a strong performance in the batter’s box, collecting 14 hits, 13 runs, two home runs and two doubles in 34 at-bats.
“Our top four guys and then Cooper McMurray to come on board with his home run, so really the top five guys did a lot, and Kason (Howell) got the big hit there at the end of the ballgame,” Thompson said. “We kept working. It happened late there for us. It was really a much closer ballgame.”
Shortstop Cole Foster led Auburn’s offense with three runs, three hits and a home run with one RBI. His home run was his fifth of the season.
After Samford tied it 2-2 in the third, Foster homered through center-right field, stealing Auburn’s lead back, and the Tigers maintained that lead until the end.
Following Foster’s lead, left fielder Bobby Peirce recorded three runs and three hits with one RBI. Designated hitter Ike Irish followed the veterans’ lead with two runs, three hits, a double and two RBIs.
Samford’s pitching staff contained first baseman Cooper McMurray until the bottom of the seventh, when McMurray hammered it over the right field wall, securing his sixth home run of the season.
McMurray ended the night with two runs, one hit and one home run with one RBI.
Center fielder Kason Howell solidified Auburn’s win with a double down the left field line, sending Justin Kirby, Bryson Ware and McMurray home in the eighth.
Auburn will host the Mississippi State Bulldogs (22-15, 5-10 SEC) for a three-game series starting on Friday at 6 p.m. CST on the SEC Network+.
“We’ll have a good environment. Our fans will be into it,” Foster said. “I think it’s gonna be a great series, and so winning tonight just gives us that motivation, like we belong here. This is our second half of the season, and we’re just gonna come out and just dominate.”
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Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @caitlyngrif99
