No. 15 Auburn was unable to recover from an early deficit, falling 15-4 to Jacksonville State in a run-rule loss Tuesday night at Plainsman Park.
The 22-10 Tigers struggled to contain Jacksonville State’s offense, as the Gamecocks scored in six of eight innings and totaled 15 runs on 17 hits, both season highs for Auburn. Auburn also committed four errors, which the 28-6 Gamecocks took advantage of, setting the tone early and building a lead the Tigers could not overcome.
Jacksonville State instantly began putting up runs, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Gamecocks bunted three consecutive balls in play, two for hits, one for a sacrifice RBI and then added a two-run homer right after. The pressure on Auburn to play aggressive offense only increased from there.
After the first inning, Auburn starting pitcher Christian Chatterton began to settle in, tossing a scoreless second inning. However, the Gamecocks continued to put up runs throughout the night. Jacksonville State added two runs in the third inning and then hit a two-run home run after an error to extend its lead to 7-0.
The deficit grew to double digits in the sixth inning when the Gamecocks cleared the bases with a three-run double, pushing the score to 10-0 and putting the run rule into play. At that point, Auburn faced a huge battle in front of them with limited opportunities remaining.
Auburn responded to this deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning, its most productive inning of the game. Bub Terrell, Eric Guevara, Ethin Bingaman and Logan Gregorio knocked four consecutive singles to spark the offense and drive in the Tigers’ first runs. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Brandon McCraine and Mason McCraine added to the rally, and Bristol Carter added to the rally with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 10-4. This sixth-inning rally provided a glimpse into Auburn’s offensive potential with timely hitting and plate discipline.
Eric Guevara (8) moments before making a double during the Auburn vs. Jackson State game Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
However, Auburn’s offensive momentum was short-lived, and its run total for the game remained at four. Jacksonville State answered immediately after the sixth inning, scoring three runs in the seventh, two of them on a two-out error, extending its lead back to nine. The Gamecocks then piled on two more runs in the eighth to secure the 15-4 run-rule victory.
Auburn finished with nine hits, as Carter, Bingman and Gregorio each recorded two-hit performances, but the team left 11 runners on base and struck out 14 times. On the mound, Auburn managed just three strikeouts and used 10 pitchers in eight innings.
“They have to find a way to flush it,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “Just the inconsistencies. We’ve been so good on the mound but only struck those guys out three times.”
Auburn will look to bounce back and revive momentum as it returns to SEC play this weekend, hosting Kentucky for a three-game series at Plainsman Park.
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Lila is a freshman majoring in journalism sports production. She started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
