Auburn baseball secured its first series victory of the season on opening weekend on the Plains as the Tigers defeated Holy Cross 14-6 in a bounce-back win after Saturday night's 4-2 loss.
The Tigers came out hot after their bats struggled the night before, with two runs and five total hits in the game Saturday night. However, Sunday's midday contest turned into an offensive showdown, with at least one run scored in the first eight innings.
Auburn flipped the script and recorded two runs and three hits, including RBI hits from Bristol Carter and Ike Irish, which gave Auburn an early 2-0 lead after the first two innings.
The Crusaders struck back quickly in the top of the third inning and tied the game two apiece. However, a challenge by Auburn head coach Butch Thompson that starting pitcher Christian Chatterton hit the batter overturned the wild pitch that would’ve tied the game as Auburn escaped the inning with a 2-1 lead.
Holy Cross tied the game 2-2 for the second time with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning by centerfielder Gianni Royer.
Freshman catcher Chase Fralick drove in the Tiger's third run of the game at the bottom of the fourth with two outs after Auburn won its second challenge, which overturned shortstop Deric Fabian caught stealing at second base.
With a 4-2 lead headed into the top of the sixth inning, the Crusaders refused to go away as a base-clearing double from Jimmy King tied the game 4-4 and ended the day for Chatterton.
The Tigers, faced with a tie game, scored the most runs in any inning in the bottom of the sixth.
Fralick got it started and wasted no time with a solo home run to deep right field on the first pitch he saw to break the tie. A Cade Belyeu single and Irish intentional walk set up Cooper McMurray with two out and a runner in scoring position. McMurray hit the second home run of the inning and his first of the season over the right-field wall to grow the Tigers lead to four runs.
“I blacked right when I hit it,” Fralick said. “I haven’t felt a swing that good in a really long time it was incredible I have been here for eight months being able to play with all these guys its really been incredible.”
It didn’t stop there as a Lucas Steele RBI single brought Fabian for his second run of the day as the Tigers' lead ballooned to five runs.
The Auburn bats stayed hot throughout the game, and the runs kept pouring in for the Tigers. McMurray’s six total bases, four RBIs, and an RBI from seven different Tigers powered the offense.
Chatterton pitched 5.1 innings, allowed four runs, and struck out five Crusaders, but Dylan Watts pitched one inning, allowed two runs, and struck out two batters, earning the win.
The Tigers will be back in action on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CST in Plainsman Park against in-state opponent Troy. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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Craig Noyes is a senior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @CraigNoyes58
