The No. 13 Auburn Tigers (10-2) claimed an 8-4 win over the Air Force Falcons (4-8) in their midweek matchup on Wednesday.
With a multi-home run performance from its dynamic lineup, Auburn stole the lead from Air Force at the bottom of the second and never looked back.
“These are some of our future leaders, and I think we’re in good hands,” said head coach Butch Thompson. “I got to shake hands with every player in the line after the game, just first class. They do an amazing job of representing our country. Getting to play them was an honor.”
The Tigers added eight runs, 11 hits – one double, one triple and three home runs – and eight RBIs in 32 at-bats, compared to the Falcons’ four runs, 12 hits – three doubles and one home run – and four RBIs in 39 at-bats.
Deric Fabian showcased his offensive talent, going 2-for-3 at the plate, and added two home runs and three RBIs to the board. The third baseman’s performance in the batter’s box earned him player of the game.
“He’s having good at-bats, and he’s driven the ball both ways,” Thompson said. “It’s been huge. The other day, it was Ike (Irish) in game three, and it’s nice to have somebody keep showing up for us. Fabian has been locked in for a couple of weeks and playing good baseball.”
Cooper Weiss continued his offensive streak, adding a home run, three hits and two RBIs to the stat sheet – alongside two stolen bases.
At the top of the first, Air Force took no time getting on the board with Jay Thomason’s home run sent flying over the right-field wall – giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead. However, that lead didn’t last long as Mason Maners’ run tied the score 1-1 – thanks to Gavin Miller’s single up the middle.
Weiss carried that offensive momentum to the next at-bat with a two-run homer hammered 432 feet into left field – extending the Tigers’ lead by two runs.
Hoping to close the growing score gap in the third, Air Force's Chris Stallings singled to Weiss at shortstop, sending Ben Niednagel home to score – making it a 3-2 game.
But Auburn had another idea and added two runs on the board. Following Weiss’ lead, Fabian sent a ball flying 370 feet into right field, sending Cooper McMurray home to score.
The Tigers continued their offensive assault in the fourth with Christian Hall’s sacrifice fly that sent Bobby Peirce home. Then, in the sixth, Fabian struck again with a solo homer hammered to center field – making it a 7-2 game.
The Falcons’ offense wasn’t finished, so Sam Kulasingam saw his opportunity and doubled down the right-field line to send Walker Zapp to score. But Irish solidified Auburn’s win with a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Maners to score and extend the lead to 8-3.
With two runners in scoring position, right-handed pitcher Will Cannon allowed one run from Aerik Joe, but it wasn’t enough to overthrow the Tigers.
Facing 42 total batters, the Tigers’ pitching staff put on a strong performance on the mound, collecting 11 strikeouts with no walks and allowing 12 hits and only four runs. Whereas, the Falcons added five strikeouts, six walks, two hit-by-pitches and one wild pitch and allowed eight runs and 11 hits – facing 43 total batters.
Thompson stuck with RHP Conner McBride as Auburn’s midweek starter on the mound. Facing 22 total batters, McBride earned his second win with four strikeouts and no walks and allowed seven hits and two runs in five innings pitched.
“My fastball command was good, and I had my changeup and curveball,” McBride said. “I didn’t really have my slider or cutter, but we were able to get the job done. Deric and the rest of the guys played great behind me.”
RHP Dylan Watts relieved McBride in the sixth and pitched one inning. Watts added two strikeouts and no walks to the board, while allowing only one hit and one run.
LHP Griffin Graves and LHP Tanner Bauman made an appearance in the seventh inning. Graves and Bauman added two strikeouts, no walks and two allowed hits collectively.
RHP Parker Carlson replaced Bauman and pitched the eighth inning – contributing one strikeout. Then, Cannon finished off the Falcons with two strikeouts after allowing one run and two hits.
The Tigers will have their final nonconference series against Austin Peay this weekend. The three-game series will begin on Friday, March 8, at 6 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and Wings 94.3 FM.
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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
