COLUMBIA, S.C. – Auburn pushed No. 2 South Carolina to the brink of a sweep on its home turf but ultimately fell just short in an 8-7 loss in the series finale Sunday at Founders Park.
Trailing by two going into the ninth, Bobby Peirce hit the team's fifth home run of the game to start the inning and make it a one-run game. The tying run reached on a walk and single to keep the pressure on South Carolina, but a strikeout and groundout ended the game.
"I just thought the effort was tremendous," head coach Butch Thompson said. "Bobby there in the ninth just kept us engaged and Ware gets a hit. It just felt like we kind of ran out of outs today instead of losing the ballgame because the competitive spirit was so good."
After taking the first two games of the series, the series win marks Auburn's first road series win against a team ranked in the top two since at least 2005.
"Great battle, all three games," Thompson added. "If we'll battle that way, like we did last week, if we battle like that, we'll take whatever happens results wise. If we can keep the process and energy that will equal our true results."
Auburn (25-18-1, 9-12 SEC) jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the first inning for the second straight game. Chris Stanfield got things started with a walk followed by a stolen base. He advanced to third on a balk and scored on a fielder's choice from Ike Irish. After back-to-back strikeouts, Bryson Ware hit a two-out, two-run home run to left center, marking his team-best 17th home run of the season. Cole Foster followed with a solo shot off the batter's eye to make it 4-0. It was the first time Auburn hit back-to-back home runs this season.
South Carolina (35-8, 14-6 SEC) responded with a run on a walk, error, groundout and passed ball in the bottom of the first. After a strikeout of three-hole hitter Ethan Petry, the Gamecocks cashed in with a two-out single, walk and RBI single to make it a 4-2 game.
Auburn answered with a solo homer from Nate LaRue in the top of the second. The home run was LaRue's second in as many games and his third in the last four SEC contests.
Starting pitcher Will Cannon settled in and worked a clean second inning with a pair of strikeouts. Cannon retired the first two batters of the third inning, but a two-out single and walk put two runners aboard and ended his outing. Parker Carlson entered in relief and ended the Gamecocks' threat with a strikeout.
South Carolina starter Matthew Becker retired seven straight hitters from the end of the third through the fifth innings, and the Gamecocks made it a one-run game with a two-RBI single back up the middle from shortstop Michael Braswell in the bottom of the fourth.
The Gamecocks put two aboard in the fifth and a failed pickoff attempt moved both runners into scoring position before a fly ball to right scored a run to even the score. The throw from Peirce in right beat the runner, but the ball wasn't secured cleanly at the plate and Gavin Casas slid in safely.
Auburn answered immediately again as Ware sent the third pitch offered from South Carolina reliever Eli Jones into the Tigers' bullpen in left center for his second home run of the day and his 18th of the season.
After Chase Allsup put up a big zero with a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers threatened to add to their lead in the top of the seventh. LaRue walked before Stanfield and Peirce both singled, but a strikeout and groundout ended the inning with the bases loaded.
The first two Gamecocks in the bottom of the seventh reached on singles, and the home team took their first lead of the weekend on a three-run home run, making it an 8-6 game.
Trailing by two, Auburn again loaded the bases with one out and the top of the lineup coming to bat in the top of the eighth, but a pair flyouts to the shallow outfield ended the inning with the bases loaded for the second straight frame.
Making his second SEC appearance, Cameron Keshock retired the first four batters he faced, but back-to-back singles in the bottom of the eighth put runners on the corners with two outs. Ryan Olson then made his SEC debut in relief and ended the inning with a flyout to right.
Peirce started the ninth with his fifth home run of the season, including his second in as many games this weekend, but the tying run was left on base to end the game.
"This looked like a World Series team that we competed against. We just played the game well," Thompson said. "I do think we were the hungrier team. Can we keep duplicating that with only three weeks to go? We should be able to, and it'll be a requirement. Our staff, our coaches and our players just absolutely did everything they could to be successful this weekend."
Auburn returns to the Plains for finals week before taking on No. 1 LSU (35-8, 15-5 SEC) in three games at Plainsman Park Friday through Sunday.
‘Great battle’: Auburn falls just short in series finale at No. 2 South Carolina
