Big swing sends Texas A&M past No. 7 Auburn in SEC Tournament
HOOVER, Ala. – No. 7 Auburn hit a pair of solo home runs and struck out 14 batters, but Texas A&M used one big swing to defeat the Tigers 3-2 Thursday at the Hoover Met, eliminating Auburn from the SEC Tournament.
“They landed the big punch,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “I appreciate the guys fighting to the finish, but we didn’t link up enough offense to break through today. We had some chances, but it didn’t happen. They got off the big swing and we didn’t get enough off where we were working in a pack.”
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Lucas Steele hit a solo home run to pull the Tigers within one run with one out, but the Aggies retired the next two hitters to preserve the victory.
After walking the leadoff batter, Auburn starter Cam Tilly struck out three straight Aggies to sail through the first inning.
Tilly retired six straight before running into trouble in the top of third when the first two Aggies reached base and Kaeden Kent followed with a three-run home run to right.
“They hit the big haymaker early and we hung in there,” Thompson said. “We were one more big at-bat away.”
Tilly struck out six in 3.0 innings, exiting in the fourth after hitting the Aggies’ leadoff hitter. Carson Myers relieved Tilly, pitching 4.0 scoreless innings and striking out five while allowing only one hit.
“We competed,” Myers said. “We stayed true to our goal to throw as many strikes as possible. We were trying to go after these guys with our best stuff. Tough loss today, but it’s only going to put a chip on our shoulder going into next weekend that’s going to make us even better.”
“Carson Myers was tremendous,” said Thompson, whose pitching trio limited Texas A&M to four hits. “Myers did the lion’s share of the work today. Cam Tilly’s stuff was good. Cade Fisher was great.”
Texas A&M starter Justin Lamkin followed last week’s 15-strikeout, three-hit shutout of Georgia with another gem, limiting Auburn to three hits and one run over 5.0 innings while striking out five.
Eric Snow led off the bottom of the fifth with a towering first-pitch home run to left to trim Texas A&M’s lead to 3-1. Snow tallied two of the Tigers’ six hits.
After a leadoff walk in the eighth ended Myers’ outing, Cade Fisher entered, surrendering a single before setting down three in a row to strand two Aggies. The junior lefty ultimately struck out three in 2.0 scoreless innings.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth, pinch-hitter Cade Belyeu led off with a two-strike single, then after a fielder’s choice, Eric Guevara singled to put the tying runs on base. A double play ended Auburn’s threat when the second base umpire ruled batter Ike Irish out at first after Guevara slid into a restricted area.
“That was a big moment to cut us down and for them to be able to get out of the inning.” Thompson said.
Texas A&M (29-25) advances to play LSU in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Auburn (38-18) awaits Sunday’s announcement of NCAA regional host sites and Monday’s full tournament bracket release, expecting to host a regional for the third time in four seasons.
“That’s a huge step to do that,” Thompson said. “We haven’t done that in our program’s history. You want to make hay when you get those opportunities.
