Alabama Baseball’s Comeback Attempt Falls Short Against Auburn

The Crimson Tide suffered a series loss to the Tigers on Friday night.

Alabama Athletics

The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team (32-21, 12-17 SEC) suffered a loss to the Auburn Tigers (27-25, 8-21 SEC) 12-11 on Friday night at Plainsman Park. 

The Crimson Tide struck first as the team scored a pair of runs on an RBI double by William Hamiter in the top of the first inning and an RBI groundout by Max Grant in the fourth. 

Then, Auburn fought back and scored 12 unanswered runs in a span of two innings without its head coach as Butch Thompson was ejected after the third for arguing balls and strikes. 

The rally started in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff triple by Cade Belyeu. In the following at-bat, Caden Green hit an RBI groundout to put Auburn on the board. Chris Stanfield tied up the ballgame on an RBI double and Carter Wright put the Tigers in front with a two-RBI double. The Tigers tacked on two additional runs in the inning on a triple by Carter Weiss. 

Alabama left-handed pitcher Zane Adams started on the mound and allowed six earned runs on six hits. Zane Probst, Tyler Fay, Coulson Buchanan, Matthew Heiberger, and Aidan Moza made appearances out of the bullpen. 

In the fifth, the Tigers plated six runs on a two-RBI single by Wright, a three-run home run by Cooper McMurray, and a solo home run by Belyeu. 

The Crimson Tide was on pace to be run ruled, however a two-RBI double by Hamiter in the seventh kept the game going. Kade Snell cut into Alabama’s deficit with a two-run home run in the following at-bat to get within six. 

Alabama continued its comeback bid as the team scored four runs in the eighth with Justin Lebron getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Miller scored on a wild pitch, Hamiter hit a sacrifice fly, and Mac Guscette hit an RBI single. 

The Crimson Tide scored a final run in the ninth on an RBI single by Hamiter, but could not bring the game-tying run home.

How it Happened:

Top 9:

• Mac Guscette strikes out to end the game. Auburn 12, Alabama 11.

• Kade Snell strikes out.

• William Hamiter hits an RBI single. Auburn 12, Alabama 11

• Justin Lebron gets hit by a pitch.

• Ian Petrutz flies out.

• Gage Miller hits a leadoff double.

Bottom 8:

• Christian Hall comes in to pinch hit for Mason Maners and strikes out to end the inning. Auburn 12, Alabama 10.

• Alabama makes a pitching change. Aidan Moza comes into the game in relief of Matthew Heiberger.

• Deric Fabian draws a walk.

• Caden Green grounds out.

• Cade Belyeu hits a grounder to Heiberger, is thrown out at first.

• Auburn’s Cooper Weiss hits a leadoff single.

Top 8:

• Max Grant strikes out looking to end the top half of the inning. Auburn 12, Alabama 10.

• Will Hodo gets hit by a pitch to load up the bases for Alabama.

• TJ McCants flies out.

• Mac Guscette hits an RBI single. Auburn 12, Alabama 10.

• Kade Snell draws a walk.

• William Hamiter hits a sacrifice fly. Auburn 12, Alabama 9.

• Gage Miller scores on a wild pitch. Auburn 12, Alabama 8.

• Auburn makes a pitching change. Carson Myers comes into the game in relief.

• Justin Lebron gets hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Auburn 12, Alabama 7.

• Ian Petrutz gets hit by a pitch to load up the bases for Alabama.

• Gage Miller hits a single, Grant advances to second.

• Max Grant hits a leadoff single.

Bottom 7:

• Cooper McMurray strikes out swinging to end the inning. Auburn 12, Alabama 6.

• Carter Wright strikes out looking.

• Ike Irish grounds out.

• Alabama makes a pitching change. Matthew Heiberger comes into the game in relief of Coulson Buchanan.

Top 7:

• Will Hodo strikes out swinging to end the inning. Auburn 12, Alabama 6.

• Auburn makes a pitching change. Parker Carlson comes into the game in relief.

• TJ McCants draws a walk, Guscette advanced to second.

• Mac Guscette gets hit by a pitch.

• Kade Snell hits a two-run home run. Auburn 12, Alabama 6.

• William Hamiter hits a two-RBI double. Auburn 12, Alabama 4.

• Justin Lebron hits a single, Petrutz advances to second.

• Ian Petrutz reaches first base on an error.

• Gage Miller lines out.

• Max Grant grounds out.

Bottom 6:

• Chris Stanfield flies out to end the inning. Auburn 12, Alabama 2.

• Mason Maners comes into pinch hit and hits into a double play.

• Deric Fabian hits a leadoff single.

Top 6:

• Will Hodo flies out to end the top half of the inning. Auburn 12, Alabama 2.

• TJ McCants lines out.

• Mac Guscette lines out.

Bottom 5:

• Cade Belyeu hits a solo home run. Auburn 12, Alabama 2.

• Alabama makes a pitching change. Coulson Buchanan comes into the game in relief of Tyler Fay.

• Cooper McMurray hits a three-run home run. Auburn 11, Alabama 2.

• Carter Wright hits a two-RBI single, Irish advances to second. Auburn 8, Alabama 2.

• Ike Irish hits a single to load up the bases for Auburn.

• Alabama makes a pitching change. Tyler Fay comes into the game in relief of Zane Probst.

• Chris Stanfield draws a walk.

• Fabian steals second. He was originally called out but Auburn challenged the call and it was overturned.

• Eric Guevara strikes out looking.

• Auburn’s Deric Fabian draws a leadoff walk.

Top 5:

• Kade Snell strikes out swinging. Auburn 6, Alabama 2.

• William Hamiter strikes out swinging.

• Justin Lebron gets hit by a pitch.

• Ian Petrutz pops up.

Bottom 4:

• Caden Green lines out to end the inning. Auburn 6, Alabama 2.

• Cooper Weiss reaches on an error, two runners score. Auburn 6, Alabama 2.

• Alabama makes a pitching change. Zane Probst comes into the game in relief of Zane Adams.

• Cooper McMurray is intentionally walked.

• Carter Wright hits a two-RBI double. Auburn 4, Alabama 2.

• Ike Irish draws a four-pitch walk.

• Chris Stanfield hits an RBI double. Alabama 2, Auburn 2.

• Eric Guevara strikes out swinging.

• Deric Fabian hits a double.

• Caden Green hits an RBI groundout. Alabama 2, Auburn 1.

• Auburn’s Cade Belyeu hits a leadoff triple.

Top 4:

• Gage Miller flies out to end the top half of the inning. Alabama 2, Auburn 0.

• Max Grant hits an RBI groundout. Alabama 2, Auburn 0.

• Will Hodo strikes out swinging.

• TJ McCants hits a double, Guscette advances to third.

• Mac Guscette draws a leadoff walk.

Bottom 3:

• Auburn head coach Butch Thompson gets ejected for arguing balls and strikes.

• Cooper Weiss strikes out looking to end the inning. Alabama 1, Auburn 0.

• Cooper McMurray draws a walk, Wright advances to second.

• Carter Wright hits a two-out single.

• Ike Irish strikes out looking.

• Auburn’s Chris Stanfield flies out.

Top 3:

• Kade Snell flies out to end the top half of the inning. Alabama 1, Auburn 0.

• William Hamiter draws a walk to load up the bases for Alabama.

• Justin Lebron reaches on a fielder’s choice. Petrutz is thrown out at second and Miller advances to third.

• Ian Petrutz hits a single, Miller advances to second.

• Gage Miller hits a one-out single.

• Max Grant grounds out for the first out of the inning.

Bottom 2:

• Eric Guevara grounds out to end the inning. Alabama 1, Auburn 0.

• Deric Fabian hits a two-out double.

• Caden Green strikes out looking.

• Auburn’s Cade Belyeu strikes out swinging.

Top 2:

• Will Hodo flies out to end the top half of the inning. Alabama 1, Auburn 0.

• TJ McCants strikes out swinging.

• Mac Guscette flies out.

Bottom 1:

• Cooper Weiss flies out to end the inning. Alabama 1, Auburn 0.

• Cooper McMurray draws a four-pitch walk, Irish advances to second.

• Carter Wright strikes out swinging.

• Ike Irish reaches on a fielder’s choice, Stanfield is thrown out at second.

• Auburn’s Chris Stanfield draws a leadoff walk.

Top 1:

• Kade Snell grounds out to end the top half of the inning. Alabama 1, Auburn 0.

• William Hamiter hits an RBI double. Alabama 1, Auburn 0.

• Justin Lebron grounds out.

• Petrutz advances to second on a wild pitch.

• Ian Petrutz hits a one-out single.

• Gage Miller strikes out swinging for the first out of the night.

Pregame:

• First pitch is expected to be at 7:02 p.m. CT.

• The game is currently in a weather delay. No updated first pitch time has been announced.

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How to Watch:

• Games one and two of the series will be on SEC Network+, while Saturday's finale gets national television treatment on the SEC Network.

• First pitch of the series is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, which doubles as Auburn's Senior Day. That's followed by the same start time on Friday, then an unconventional 5 p.m. start for the series finale on Saturday.