AUBURN, Ala (EETV) - Auburn grabs the lead early and hangs on to win series opener against Tennessee.
The Tiger's beat the Volunteers 9-5 as Auburn's offense gives their bullpen a chance to shine after starter Dylan Watts struggles. Auburn's bullpen shut out Tenessee in their 7.2 innings.
Tennesse jumped out early in the ball game scratching three runs in the first, only to have Auburn answer with five in the bottom of the inning. Catcher Ike Irish got the offense started with a solo shot, marking up his hitting streak to 16 games. After three straight singles from the Tigers, including an RBI single from Christian Hall, Cade Belyeu cleared the bases with a 3-run blast that cleared the batter's eye beyond the center field wall.
Tennesse would score two more off of Watts, who went just 1.1 innings allowing five earned runs off six hits and two long-balls with three strikeouts. Auburn answered Tennessee's runs with three more of their own with Mason Maners leading off the with a double. An RBI single from Irish, RBI fielder's choice from Bobby Pierce and another RBI single from Hall granted the Tigers an 8-5 lead early in the ballgame. This caused Tennessee to go to their bullpen in the second inning, they would end up throwing four arms throughout the night.
"It gives pitchers so much confidence when you know, even though you weren't your sharpest, they go out there and score those runs and you get all the confidence in the world," Armstrong said on the run support. "I got to give everything I got for them and makes you compete more."
Carson Meyers was called on to relieve Watts. Meyers went a strong 3.2 innings allowing no runs, three hits and four strikeouts. Meyers did run into some trouble in his first four batters loading the bases. Meyers showed poise as he struck out the next batter to end the inning.
"It was just attacking the zone," Meyers said on his bases-loaded strikeout. "Getting ahead early and using my movement to get me out of some jams. It was really just pounding the zone early and trying to get weak contact."
Next out of the pen for the Orange and Blue was John Armstrong who dominated in his 4.0 innings of work. Armstrong retired all but two of the batters he faced allowing one hit and one walk, while striking out six.
"Just compete, just go out there and throw as many strikes as possible," said Meyers. "They (coaches) want you to go out there and fill it up and that's what me and John did, went out there and competed our butts off."
In a game that started out looking like the bullpen depth would be tested, the success of Armstrong and Meyers meant Auburn only needed to utilize two arms, ensuring that their bullpen is fresh and plentiful for the rest of the series.
Auburn scored their ninth and final run of the game with a sac fly from Cooper McMurray, scoring Maners, who reached on another leadoff double. The Tiger's offense totaled 12 hits in the game.
Next up for the Tigers is game two against Tennessee on Saturday, April 6 at 3:30 pm CT in Plainsman Park Auburn, Alabama.
