Offensive struggles cost No. 11 Auburn in loss to No. 14 Oklahoma, set up rubber match

The Tigers ended up on the wrong end of a low-scoring duel, suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Sooners on Saturday night.

Left-handed pitcher Jake Marciano started for the Tigers, entering the game with a 3-2 record and a 1.61 ERA. The sophomore wasn’t in his best form, allowing nine baserunners and two runs, though he began to settle in as the game went on. Auburn couldn’t muster any run support, however, and he was tagged with the loss.

Oklahoma struck early in the top of the second inning as Marciano struggled to acclimate. A single, hit by pitch and successful bunt loaded the bases, and Kyle Branch hit a sacrifice fly to right field to open the scoring for the Sooners.

Struggling to advance runners early on, the Tigers loaded the bases in the fourth inning with a pair of singles from Chase Fralick and Bub Terrell and a walk from Brandon McCraine. Eddie Madrigal was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, however, grounding out to end the inning and leaving the Tigers scoreless through four innings.

After a pair of unsteady yet scoreless innings, Marciano faltered again in the fifth, walking two batters and giving up a two-out RBI single to Deiten Lachance. He once again managed to escape the rest of the inning unscathed, but that marked the end of his outing. In total, Marciano allowed two runs on six hits and two bases on balls, striking out five on 87 pitches in five innings.

Despite allowing four bases on balls over 5 2/3 innings, Cameron Johnson (6-1, 3.21 ERA) held Auburn’s offense in check, allowing just three hits with four strikeouts for Oklahoma.

“He made big pitches when he needed to make pitches,” Fralick said, who went 2-4 with a solo home run tonight. “We never really got comfortable in the box and he did his job, and we’re gonna come back out here tomorrow with a better plan.”

Johnson had plenty of help behind him as well, as the Sooners played airtight infield defense. They had plenty of opportunities, as the Tigers hit 15 ground balls to them over the course of the contest.

“I would have to say it feels like that’s some of the best defense that I’ve seen play against us,” Thompson said. “We did get a lot of ground balls in the infield, but nonetheless, just great, great defense from Oklahoma tonight for sure.”

Offensive woes continued to plague the Tigers through the middle innings. Putting runners in scoring position just three times and advancing them only once, Auburn’s batters struggled to make contact and put the ball in the air when the pressure was on. In the end, only three batters registered a hit: Chase Fralick and Ethin Bingaman, who each knocked a pair, and Bub Terrell.

Right-hander LJ Cormier relieved Marciano of his pitching duties in the sixth inning and put together arguably his best performance of the season, allowing just one hit and no runs over 3 1/3 innings. He got a bit of help from Bristol Carter, who made a diving catch in center field to end the top of the eighth. It was Carter’s first game action since April 14 as he continues to nurse a pectoral injury.

An angsty Plainsman Park crowd thought Mason McCraine had knocked his fifth home run in as many games in the bottom of the seventh, but the ball fell short of the War Eagle Wall as the Sooners forced another hitless inning.

Fralick finally got the Tigers on the board in the eighth, blasting a no-doubt solo home run off the batter’s eye in dead center field. His eighth of the year seemed to provide a spark after Ethin Bingaman’s single two batters later, but Bub Terrell struck out swinging with two outs to keep Oklahoma ahead 2-1.

Needing a run in the bottom of the ninth, Eddie Madrigal drew a base on balls before the game ended up in the hands of Mason McCraine with two outs. The freshman wasn’t able to complete the comeback, grounding out to end the game and knot the series at one game apiece.

Auburn will hope to reset and prepare for the series-deciding finale, with first pitch set for Sunday at 2 p.m. CDT.