5.24.23 baseball articles

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247sports.com

 

5 Tigers picked AllSEC by Athlon Sports

Nathan King

5–7 minutes

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HOOVER, Alabama—Trailing 4-3 in the fourth inning, the No. 13 Auburn Tigers (34-19-1) got a three-run home run from Cole Foster to take the lead and a two-run shot from Bryson Ware in the bottom of the eighth to provide some cushion in a 10-4 victory over Missouri in the SEC Tournament opener on Tuesday night. With the win, coach Butch Thompson’s team advances to face No. 4 seed Vanderbilt in game four on Wednesday at the Hoover Met.

While the offense will get the headlines, the story of the game was the relief pitching of Chase Isbell and Zach Crotchfelt. Coming on after starter Tommy Vail struggled out of the gate, Isbell didn’t allow a run in three innings before turning things over to the true freshman to finish off Missouri. He pitched the final two and one/thirds innings to pick up his first career save.

“I thought we were a little out of character early,” Thompson said. “I didn’t like everything. I thought our engine was revved too much. 

“I thought Chase Isbell settled the game for us just a little bit. And I thought Cole Foster’s home run just really allowed us to exhale and get back to playing our brand of baseball. Zach Crotchfelt was tremendous for us tonight.”

At the plate, Auburn got two hits from Foster as well as two hits each from true freshmen Chris Stanfield and Ike Irish while Foster and Ware each had three runs batted in.

Auburn freshman Chris Stanfield had a pair of hits on Tuesday night. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Down 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth, Auburn was looking to get something going and it started when Kason Howell was hit by a pitch. Following a one-out walk to Nate LaRue, Stanfield singled through the right side to tie the game and bring Foster to the plate. Jumping on the first pitch, Foster mashed his 12th home run of the season deep over the wall in right field to make it 7-4 Auburn.

“It was huge,” Ware said of Foster’s home run. “Playing in Birmingham with the fans in the stands. Cole puts us up with a really good swing. The momentum just shifted back to us and they could never really regain it. It’s huge, him doing it on both sides of the field.”

With the bullpen keeping Missouri off the board, Auburn came back for more in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away. 

Foster continued his big night with a single through the right side before Bobby Peirce doubled him home to give Auburn a four-run lead. Up next, Cooper McMurray doubled to deep left field, but Peirce was thrown out at the plate for the first out. That brought Ware up with a chance to break this game open. That’s what he did.

Getting a 1-1 pitch over the middle of the plate, Ware blasted a two-run shot over the wall in left field for his 22nd home run of the season. That gave Auburn a 10-4 lead with Crotchfelt going back out to try to finish things off in the ninth. He slammed the door shut on a big win for the Tigers to advance to face Vanderbilt on Wednesday.

“It’s really exciting,” Ware said. “We’re getting hot at the right time. Kason said the other day ‘I don’t think we’re getting hot, we’re just a good baseball team.’ That’s kind of coming out. It’s really exciting to see the team link it up offensively and on the mound. Cole made some outstanding plays at shortstop. It was fun to watch. I’m really happy to be a part of it.”

Coming off a stomach bug that limited him to just two innings on Saturday, Auburn starter Tommy Vail was not his normal self on Tuesday night at the Hoover Met. Going just three and two/thirds innings, the senior allowed four runs with two of them earned while allowing just two hits. The biggest issue for Vail was an uncharacteristic four walks that contributed to a high pitch count and kept him in trouble throughout his outing.

It started early on when Vail ran into trouble in the top of the second of his own doing. Struggling with his command, the lefty walked the first two batters for Missouri before a pair of fly balls moved the runners up to score a run and give the black and gold Tigers the early lead.

Without much life early in the game, Auburn’s offense got things going in the bottom of the third with some help from Missouri pitcher Jadyn Pimental. Leading things off, LaRue singled up the middle before Stanfield belted a double the other way to put runners on second and third with nobody out.

After a pitch hit Foster to load the bases, Peirce walked to force in a run and tie the game. A McMurray groundout gave Auburn the lead before a Bryson Ware sacrifice fly made it 3-1 after three innings.

Auburn would give it right back to Missouri in the top of the fourth and they were all gifts. Vail allowed a leadoff single to right field and when Peirce booted it, the runner advanced to second with no outs. Following a groundout to move the runner to third, Vail coaxed a ground ball off the bat of Tre Morris, but it bounced off the glove of Ware at third for the second error of the inning to allow the run to score.

A single to center following before Vail issued a walk to load the bases. After throwing a very good 2-2 pitch that was called a ball, the senior walked in a run to tie the game at three. Coming on in relief, Isbell uncorked a wild pitch to allow a run to score and put Missouri back in front. 

But Auburn would answer back and in a big way on the way to the opening night win.

Box Score

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