AUBURN, Ala. (EETV)--Powered by a four-run first inning and six straight scoreless innings from Auburn’s bullpen, the Tigers walked off Troy Tuesday behind the bat of Ike Irish.
After a high-scoring game Sunday, Auburn welcomed their first-ranked season opponent, Troy. The Trojans also came into Plainsman Park with their offense humming, scoring 37 runs in their opening weekend sweep over Bellarmine. It didn’t take long for both offenses to continue their great offensive play, with both offenses combining for nine runs through the first inning and a half.
Auburn would score their first run after an errant throw by Watts, which allowed Belyeu to cross home. Then, with two runners on base, shortstop Deric Fabian hit a home run just over the right-field wall, putting Troy on catch-up duty quickly.
Troy would catch up the next half-inning, starting with a double and multiple errors, which allowed three early runs. Following those up with a double bouncing off the right fielder's hand, Troy had two more runners in scoring position. Then, after a walk to Cavill, Brooks Bryan singled to center, putting the Trojans up 5-4 early.
Auburn’s pitching staff would calm down after the second, only giving up a run in the third after a triple by Watts. Auburn’s bullpen would dominate the rest of the game, effectively shutting a hot Troy team down for the final six innings. The bullpen would strike out 13 of the remaining 18 batters, including seven Ks from Cam Tilly.
After the game, Cam Tilly was asked about his great performance; he remarked that he entered a “flow state where he lost track of time, lost track of everything”.
On the other side, Auburn’s offense got ice cold, only getting one more hit off of Troy’s starter. Auburn’s offense would get going again against Troy’s Tapper in the middle innings, though. The Tigers put pressure on, getting the bases loaded in the fourth but unable to capitalize from it. The Tigers finally got back to scoring in the fifth and sixth, getting one across in each to tie it up at six.
After a couple of scoreless innings by Auburn’s bullpen, it was time for the offense to finish the night off in the ninth. The Tigers started the inning with an error by the center fielder that allowed Bub Terrell to get to third. That triple brought the crowd alive before two straight intentional walks. Those walks brought Captain Ike Irish up to the plate, allowing him to hit or walk in the game-winning run. Irish finished the game with a line drive to center that gave Troy no chance for a play at the plate.
After this great victory, Ike Irish felt as if Auburn found the momentum it was looking for the first three games, saying, “I think after about the third inning, you saw both [offense and defense] click, and we really linked it up as a team”.
Butch Thompson and the Tigers will look to keep that consistency on both sides of the ball as they play North Alabama on Wednesday at Plainsman Park. That game will be broadcast on SECN+ and ESPN 106.7 FM at 4:00 p.m. CST.
