TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Bobby Peirce homered and Auburn put the tying runs on base in the ninth but the Tigers hit into their fifth double play to end the rally and Alabama evened the series Saturday with a 4-2 victory at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
"We've got to start turning the corner," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. "I absolutely loved the engagement of our ballclub and giving us a chance when the game didn't get started the way we wanted it to. I thought we were one barrel away and had the guys who could do it."
Trailing 4-1 in the ninth, pinch hitter Chris Stanfield led off with a single, advanced to second on a walk to Caden Green and scored on Cole Foster's single to left to pull the Tigers within a run at 4-2.
With runners at first and second and no outs, Alabama reliever Alton Davis II earned the save by recording a strikeout and a 4-6-3 game-ending double play, the Tigers' fourth consecutive inning to end in that manner.
"Disappointed by not getting the game but our guys absolutely just kept churning," Thompson said.
Auburn played exceptional defense and outhit Alabama 6-5 but allowed 11 batters to reach via walk or hit by pitch, falling behind 3-0 in the second and 4-0 in the fourth.
Auburn starter Drew Nelson (2-3) retired Alabama in order in the first inning but ran into trouble in the second, allowing three runs on a pair of doubles and three of the Tigers' eight walks.
John Armstrong relieved Nelson, recorded three outs and stranded two of the 10 runners Alabama left on base.
"Those guys stayed intact," Thompson said of Armstrong's and Parker Carlson's relief pitching. "The other thing that stayed intact was our defense. Kason Howell in right-center field, Bobby Peirce in deep left, a couple double plays."
In the third inning Howell made a highlight-reel catch at the warning track and Peirce saved two runs with a leaping catch at the wall to strand two more runners.
Carlson relieved Tommy Sheehan with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth. After walking in a run, Carlson got a 4-6-3 double play to keep the deficit at 4-0.
Alabama starter Garrett McMillan (1-1) held Auburn hitless until Kason Howell led off the top of the sixth with a single to center. When reliever Zane Probst induced an inning-ending double play, the home team had faced the minimum of 18 batters through six innings.
Zach Crotchfelt entered in the sixth inning and made quick work of Alabama on only seven pitches, sandwiching a pair of strikeouts between a grounder to third.
"That was Crotchfelt's best outing," Thompson said. "He looked the part. He went through the entire lineup. That absolutely was his coming out party in my opinion."
With one out in the top of the seventh, Peirce crushed a 422-foot home run over the scoreboard in left that led to another pitching change for Alabama (25-11, 5-9).
"Bobby Peirce's home run got us going," Thompson said.
After Ike Irish's bunt single, the Tigers grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Crotchfelt kept Auburn in the game by pitching three scoreless innings, striking out four, retiring the first seven batters he faced and ending the bottom of the eighth on a spectacular 6-4-3 double play.
"The last double play turned by Foster and Green was as good as it gets," Thompson said.
The Tigers (20-14-1, 5-9) will seek to win the series Sunday at 1 p.m. CT to close out the first half of SEC play.
"Huge game tomorrow to come back out and try to fight for this series," Thompson said.
Auburn rally falls short, series at Alabama even
