AUBURN, Ala (EETV) - Auburn drops their first midweek match of the year with 2-3 loss to Alabama State University.
Auburn takes advantage of a pass ball from Alabama State catcher Jamal George, scoring third basemen Gavin Miller to grab their first run of the night and climb to a 1-0 lead. A lead they would only hold for a couple of innings. The Hornets tied the game in the top of the seventh and then took the lead in the eighth with a pair of leadoff singles in those innings.
Auburn started Christian Herberholz (1-1), a regular starter for the Tiger's midweek games. Herberholz rolled through his five innings of business allowing no runs off three hits while dealing four strikeouts. Tanner Bauman was called in to relieve Herberholz in the sixth, going just one inning dishing out three strikeouts, and allowing no runs and one hit.
Auburn's lead came in the bottom of the fourth with Miller leading off and getting hit by pitch to reach first. After back-to-back fielder's choice groundballs, Miller found himself 90-feet away from home plate at third base. Miller would end up scoring thanks to the Alabama State pass ball.
Zach Crotchfelt was called on after Bauman. Crotchfelt immediately gave up a leadoff solo shot from ASU's Ali LaPread. Crotchfelt worked out of the inning, but when rolled back out for another frame, ASU centerfielder Randy Flores sent a ball into the stands to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead.
Hayden Murphy and John Armstong closed out the game with an inning a piece. Murphy allowed one unearned run and rolled back out for the ninth before allowing a leadoff walk and being pulled for Armstrong. Armstong allowed one walk and no runs to close the night out.
The Hornets grabbed an insuarance run in the top of the ninth after a leadoff walk from Murphy worked his way around the base path to third. With two outs in the inning Armstrong got a groundball to second that was booted into the outfield from Eric Guevara, allowing the runner to score and handing the Hornets a 3-1 lead.
Auburn did scratch another run in the bottom of the ninth as they searched for anything offensivley to give themslevs a chance at the win. Cade Belyue lead off with a triple down the right field line before Chris Stanfield sent a high fly ball to right allowing Belyue to tag up and score.
Alabama State's pitching staff held the Tigers to just five hits. The Tigers flied out 12 times acounting for almost half of their outs. Reliever Caio Araujo (2-1) is credited with the win after going 4.0 innings allowing no runs on one hit and fanning four.
Next up Auburn hosts the No. 8 ranked Kentucky Wildcats in a three-game SEC series, game one is on Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 pm CT. Auburn, currently last in the SEC at 2-10, looks to shake off their last SEC series and forge ahead.
