Following its opening weekend sweep of Youngstown State, No. 9 Auburn was unable to keep its winning ways alive, falling 8-0 to Cincinnati.
It was all Bearcats from start to finish, with the majority of the damage coming in the final two innings.
“We got in bad advantage counts and have been underwater three of the first four games here, not being able to put many at-bats together,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “Offensively almost non-competitive in situations.”
Auburn’s bats were asleep all night, only mustering five hits. They had their chances but fell short when it mattered, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
“Our hitters have been putting together good swings. Some balls haven’t been falling, and some have had bad luck,” catcher Chase Fralick said. “I know we’re going to find the bats really, really soon.”
Sophomore Andreas Alvarez returned to the mound for the first time since starting in the NCAA Tournament against Coastal Carolina and produced an up-and-down evening.
The right-hander was greeted rudely by the Bearcats as Jackson Smith smashed a one-out double down the left-field line. Smith eventually came around to score on a passed ball, opening the scoring.
The Seminole, Florida, native’s night ended after four innings. He allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out eight.
In the home half of the first inning, sparked by Bub Terrell’s double, the Tigers loaded the bases and were poised to tie the game at one. However, Cade Belyeu and Todd Clay were unable to deliver, and Auburn left three men on base. The orange and blue finished 0-for-12 with runners on base.
In the second inning, Cincinnati continued to see Alvarez well, recording back-to-back hits to open the frame. Enzo Infelise scored on a sacrifice fly, extending the Bearcats’ lead to 2-0.
The Tigers failed to mount a serious threat the rest of the night, with any potential rally quickly shut down.
In the eighth inning, hits from Quinton Coats, Luke Sefcik and Infelise helped the Bearcats tack on two more runs, nearly putting the game out of reach.
Christian Chatterton was relieved of his duties after three innings of work. The sophomore allowed five hits, two earned runs and struck out three.
Thompson handed the ball to the quartet of LJ Cormier, Marcel Kulik, Abe Chancellor and Justice de Jong to record the final six outs.
Cincinnati’s offensive surge continued into the final frame, where it added four runs on four hits, effectively putting the game on ice.
Auburn will return to action this weekend at Globe Life Field as part of the 2026 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. The Tigers’ three-game slate will feature Kansas State, No. 15 Louisville and No. 16 Florida State.
“Going out to Arlington has been huge for us,” Thompson said. “I think we were able to get all three games last year out there, and it really molded our ball club.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
