During the final home game of this strange pandemic-stricken season–one that forced four scheduling switches due to the NCAA’s health and safety protocols–at Plainsman Park, Auburn baseball handled their business against in-state foe North Alabama.
The Lions came out with something to prove, as Kylan Barnett brought Drew Hudson home on a sacrifice to grab a 1-0 lead before the Tigers came to bat.
Then, in the bottom of the first, Auburn took their first lead. Rankin Woley drove in Ryan Bliss and Tyler Miller with a laser to centerfield to grab a 2-1 lead, and Kayson William’s two-run double gave Auburn baseball a 4-1 lead.
North Alabama tied things up in the top of the second with a three-run inning that included a one-out, two-run double from Hudson that evened the score at 4-4.
The action picked up in the bottom of the third once more, and Auburn baseball grabbed a lead they wouldn’t lose for the rest of the night. Bryson Ware singled in a run to claim lead 5-4, and Garrett Farquhar extended that lead to 7-4 with a two-run single to left.
The final score was 14-6 after the Tigers added two runs at the bottom of the 4th and four more in the fifth to take an eight-run lead. Blake Burkhalter was awarded the win for Auburn baseball, his first of the season.
Tuesday night was senior night for the team’s eldest Plainsman, but the NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility for every senior, so it’s unclear who on the team may take advantage of that.
That didn’t stop the team from celebrating like it was a normal senior night anyway:
Sent the seniors out on top. ☝️#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/MfNLXHAglU
— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) May 19, 2021
Auburn baseball’s postseason fate will hinge on what happens in their final series of the season against Mizzou in Columbia. Auburn sits in sole possession of 12th place and can punch their ticket to the SEC Tournament in Hoover with a series win coupled with at least one Texas A&M loss after the Tigers took this past weekend’s series against the Aggies.