The Auburn Tigers (15-4, 2-1) pulled off an exciting comeback victory in the series finale against No. 13 Vanderbilt, (15-4, 1-2) capped off by Cade Belyeu’s grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning, securing a 7-6 win at Plainsman Park.
Vanderbilt jumped out to an early lead, with Colin Barczi leading off the game with a one-run homer to left field. Jayden Davis followed with a double, putting the Commodores up 2-0. After a scoreless half inning, Vanderbilt threatened again but was unable to capitalize. Riley Nelson’s single and Barczi’s walk put two men on base, but Auburn’s defense held strong to keep the Commodores from adding to their lead.
Auburn responded in the bottom of the third, starting with Eric Snow’s double down the left-field line. Snow’s two-out rally was extended with a walk to Cooper McMurray. Bub Terrell then came through with a liner up the middle, driving in Auburn’s first run and cutting Vanderbilt’s lead to 2-1.
Vanderbilt extended their advantage in the fourth inning with back-to-back home runs from Jonathan Vastine and Braden Holcomb. The Commodores continued to rally with a triple by Jacob Humphrey, followed by singles from Brodie Johnston, Riley Nelson, and Barczi, putting together a six-hit, four-run inning to push their lead to 6-1. Barczi was a reliable bat throughout the day for the commanders, going two-for-three with a homerun.
Auburn answered quickly in the fifth. Eric Guavara launched a one-run homer to start the rally for the Tigers. After an error allowed Terrell to reach second, another error from the Commodores allowed Terrell to score, cutting the deficit to 6-3. However, the Tigers could not manage to capitalize further, leaving them with work to do heading into the later innings.
After a quiet couple of innings, the Tigers mounted their comeback in the eighth. Chase Fralik started things off with a single, followed by Chris Rembert getting hit by a pitch. A single by Lucas Steele loaded the bases, setting the stage for Belyeu. On an 0-2 pitch, Belyeu crushed a grand slam to left field, giving Auburn a 7-6 lead and ultimately sealing the victory.
Auburn’s pitching staff was solid throughout the game, beginning with Christian Chatterton, who allowed six hits over three innings. Andreas Alvarez (1-0) earned the win for Auburn, pitching four innings of relief, striking out two and allowing only one hit. Ryan Hetzler saved the game with a perfect inning, recording three strikeouts and no hits.
For Vanderbilt, starter Cody Bowker pitched seven solid innings, allowing five hits and striking out four. The Commodores’ bullpen, consisting of Matthew Shorey, Brennan Seiber, England Bryan, Miller Green, and Connor Fennell, combined to allow three runs on three hits while striking out five and walking two.
Auburn will look to carry momentum into their next game, which is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18, at 6 p.m. CST at Plainsman Park against Alabama State.
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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
