AUBURN, Ala. – Behind the most strikeouts in a game since 2022, the Auburn pitching staff surrendered just one run on two hits to lead the No. 5 Tigers to a 2-1 win over Youngstown State in the season opener Friday night at Plainsman Park.
“That was a lot. That felt like midseason type stuff,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “I have a bunch of emotions, but I think the overriding emotion is a game like that absolutely can crystallize some things for you. It’s a benefit if you can find the right way.”
A trio of transfer pitchers in Jake Marciano, Drew Whalen and Garrett Brewer combined to go the distance. Marciano struck out a career-high 12 batters in 5.0 innings, while Whalen (1-0) earned his first win and Brewer earned his first save in an Auburn uniform.
“We needed three guys to pitched great tonight, and we actually got that and it gave us a chance to win a ballgame,” Thompson added. “Those three guys already experiencing that is huge for us having success and taking some confidence from it as well.”
Making his Auburn debut, Marciano struck out the side in the first inning and ultimately retired the first five batters he faced on strikeouts and logged seven punchouts the first time through the order.
Youngstown State finally got to Marciano with a solo home run with two outs in the fourth. However, the sophomore southpaw responded to strikeout out the next four batters he faced and end his outing with the aforementioned 12 strikeouts, the most by an Auburn pitcher since Tanner Burns matched a single-game record with 15 strikeouts vs. Cincinnati on Mar. 1, 2019.
“Attacking the strike zone,” Marciano said of what was working for him on the mound. “I threw all of my pitches for strikes, and that’s what kind of got me through all those innings. That was my goal.”
“It was real,” Thompson added of Marciano’s outing. “It was just strike one, after strike one, after strike one. That’s what we talk about. I thought he was great.”
A half inning after Marciano exited, Auburn (1-0) evened the score as Chris Rembert ripped a two-out single to left field to score Ethin Bingaman, who reached on an error earlier in the inning.
After Whalen held Youngstown State (0-1) scoreless in his first three innings of relief, Eric Guevara started the eighth inning with a double to right center and scored on the next pitch to take the lead. Chase Fralick singled through the right side, and Guevara scampered home as the ball was misplayed in right field.
With the Tigers leading 2-1, the Penguins threatened in the top of the ninth as the first two batters reached and advanced into scoring position on a double steal. However, Brewer entered in relief of Whalen with a 2-2 count and needed one pitch for the strikeout. He then struck out another before a flyout to center ended the game with the tying run 90 feet from home.
“That was awesome. That was a great team win,” Brewer said of ending the game. “They had trust in me to go out there and throw strikes. It means a lot.”
Auburn and Youngstown State are set to play game two of the three-game series Saturday at 6 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park.