No. 18 Auburn has had a week to forget, as the Tigers were swept by Alabama and then run-ruled 13-3 in eight innings by No. 3 Georgia Tech at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Auburn got the scoring started first, jumping out to a 3-0 lead, but could not find a way to scrape across any more runs, as Georgia Tech scored 13 unanswered.
“We knew it'd be a bullpen game on both sides,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “They got eight runs with two outs. They got the leadoff man on. Then we were hanging in there, but whether we stayed with the guy or went to the bullpen they still drug runs in. That’s really the difference in the ballgame.”
Bub Terrell started the scoring with a solo shot in the second. A single by Ethin Bingaman and a walk by Brandon McCraine put runners on for Bristol Carter, who roped a two-out double to extend the lead to 3-0 heading into the bottom of the second.
Christian Chatterton got the start on the rubber for the first time this year over Andreas Alvarez, who seems poised for some weekend action versus Arkansas.
Georgia Tech, one of the best offensive teams in the country, caught fire in the bottom of the second, scoring six runs. A two-run blast from Ryan Zuckerman got the inning started. With two outs, Drew Burress doubled, scoring two runners to take the lead for the Jackets. The ensuing batter, Vahn Lackey, put a charge into a ball for the second two-run homer of the inning.
Auburn made some noise in the top half of the third, with two hits and a walk loading the bases. Time and time again, the Tigers left runners on base, stranding all three after a strikeout and a pop out.
The Yellow Jackets poured it on in the fourth and fifth innings. A Burress single turned into an inside-the-park home run after an error by Bub Terrell, giving the Jackets an 8-3 lead. A Carson Kerce two-run homer in the fifth extended the deficit to 10-3. Two more Jacket runs were scored in the seventh, and to put the cherry on top, Caleb Daniel hit a walk-off home run in the eighth to run-rule the Tigers.
Auburn's offense stalled in an alarming way, with 15 of the last 16 batters retired to finish the game.
“Our offense has to get their minds back to playing good baseball, having good at-bats and starting innings early,” Thompson said. “We just need, overall, tougher at-bats. We have to push through and keep playing and having at-bats. We have to make some things happen.”
It is a long season, and now Auburn has dealt with some adversity, but with seven SEC series left, the Tigers cannot let this stretch define them.
Auburn hosts No. 17 Arkansas for another SEC-ranked matchup at Plainsman Park this weekend. First pitch for game one is set for Thursday at 6 p.m. CDT on SEC Network+.
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