Ike Irish closed out the competitive night for Auburn baseball (3-1) with the walk off on their home field, Plainsman Park, defeating Troy (3-1) 7-6.
The Tigers came out strong, showcasing solid offense and defensive efforts right from the start. Despite some early errors on both sides, Auburn capitalized on the opportunities and built momentum throughout the game.
The scoring started early for the Tigers in the bottom of the first inning. Cade Belyeu worked the count, drawing the walk, and Ike Irish reached base on an error that advanced Belyeu to third. Belyeu scored Auburn’s first run on another error by Troy. Deric Fabian then hit a three-run homer to deep right field, putting the Tigers ahead 4-0.
Troy responded quickly with a six-hit third inning. The rally began with back-to-back singles from Jimmy Janicki and Sean Darnell. Shane Lewis drove in the first RBI for Troy with a double to left center. Brooks Bryan followed with a single to center, earning two RBIs for the Trojans.
After a quiet inning for the Tigers, who went down in order, Peyton Watts kept the rally going for Troy in the top of the fourth. He hit a triple, followed by an RBI single from Mike Bello.
Auburn threatened to rally in the fourth by loading the bases with two outs, but they couldn't capitalize. However, they scored again in the fifth to narrow the gap to 5-6. In the sixth, Eric Snow led off with a double down the left-field line, putting the Tigers in scoring position. Bub Terrell tied the game at 6-6 with an RBI.
Auburn's defense held strong behind their pitching staff who battled every inning to pull out the win. Carson Myers started for the Tigers but pitched just one inning. Freshman Jackson Sanders, Cam Tilly, and Jett Johnston (1-0) combined for the remainder of the game. Johnston closed out the win with four strikeouts in two innings.
Terrell began the final rally in the bottom of the ninth on the offensive end with a triple to center field, and Irish walked it off with a liner to left center. The Tiger’s offense looked good under the lights, two standout bats included Fabian who went three-for-three at the plate today, and Terrell who went two-for-three, both providing key hits for the Tigers to claim the victory.
Troy's pitching staff showed promise, with Adam Falinski making his first start since Tommy John surgery last year. He pitched three solid innings, allowing four hits and posting a 1.93 ERA. Brock Tapper relieved him in the third, followed by Chase Nelson, then Luke Lyon (0-1) who closed the game for the Trojans. Troy's offense produced seven hits but couldn't push across the final run, falling short in the end.
The Auburn Tigers will look to build on this momentum when they face North Alabama on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. CST at Plainsman Park.
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Sarah is a freshman majoring in public relations. She started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @sarahsewall12
