March 27, 2012
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The No. 24 Auburn baseball team battled back from a four-run deficit to take a one-run lead into the ninth but Samford's Phillip Ervin hit a walk-off grand slam to send Auburn to an 8-5 loss on Tuesday night at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The home run was the second of the night for Ervin, who drove in six of Samford's eight runs.
"They got up early on us and we battled back and regained the lead. We just didn't pitch real well in the early part of the game and certainly in the end. Unfortunately we weren't able to hold that lead down. This is a very disappointing loss. We have to learn from it and move forward."
Samford (17-8) took a 2-0 lead in the second on three singles, a sac bunt and a sac fly, with Austin Allison's bloop single scoring the first run and Zeth Stone's sac fly bringing in the second.
Samford extended it to 4-0 as Ervin blasted his fourth home run of the season with one on in the second, ending Auburn starter Jon Luke Jacobs day after he allowed a season-high seven hits and a walk without recording a strike out.
Auburn (15-10) answered Ervin's blast with three unearned runs in the top of the fourth, capitalizing on a Cullen Wacker grounder to second that was bobbled. Garrett Cooper and Justin Bryant followed with singles to load the bases before Zach Alvord produced a RBI groundout to make it 4-1. Two batters later Dan Glevenyak singled to center to score two and put the deficit at one, 4-3.
The game remained that way until Alvord smoked his third home run of the season with two outs in the eight, hitting one of the team flags beyond the fence in left-center for a 5-4 lead.
Holding the one-run lead, Auburn called on its closer, Bryant (1-1). After getting a fly out to start the frame, he hit a batter and allowed back-to-back singles to load the bases, setting the stage for Ervin's no-doubt home run to left.
C.K Irby (3-0) picked up the win out of the Samford bullpen with a scoreless top of the ninth.
Auburn returns home for a weekend series against Mississippi State beginning Friday at 6pm.
Samford 8, Auburn 5 (Mar 27, 2012 at Birmingham, AL)
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Auburn.............. 000 300 020 - 5 8 0 (15-10)
Samford............. 022 000 004 - 8 12 1 (17-8)
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Win-C.K. Irby(3-0) Loss-Justin Bryant(1-1) T-2:46 A-2397
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