NASHVILLE – No. 21 Auburn battled back late but ultimately lost to No. 4 Vanderbilt, 9-5, in the series finale at Hawkins Field Saturday afternoon.
Trailing by seven in the top of the eighth, Auburn made it interesting by scoring four runs in the frame with the big blow coming on a three-run home run off the bat of Rankin Woley. However, it was too little too late for the Tigers.
"Rankin made a big swing, but the difference at game time was they made the pitch and got the hit when they needed to," head coach Butch Thompson said on the Auburn Sports Network. "Ours just didn't some at game time. When these things are close is when you have to capitalize."
Both starting pitchers factored into the decision as Auburn's Brooks Fuller (2-2, 3.13) suffered the loss despite giving up just two earned runs. Vanderbilt's Patrick Raby (7-1, 2.63) earned the win.
Auburn (27-17, 10-11 SEC) jumped out to its first lead of the series as Judd Ward led off the game with a single and Edouard Julien later drove him in on a sacrifice fly to left center in the top of the first. However, Vanderbilt (34-9, 15-6 SEC) answered back with a two-run home run in the bottom of the frame.
After Auburn left the bases loaded in the top of the second, the Commodores extended the lead with a pair of unearned run in the bottom half. Auburn issued three walks and committed an error in the inning.
Vanderbilt added a run on a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-1 ballgame in the third, and the score remained that way until the first four batters in the bottom of the seventh reached and three runs came in to score.
The Tigers drew to within striking distance on the aforementioned three-run home run from Woley and a RBI groundout from Ward in the eighth, but Vanderbilt tacked one on in the home half to cap off the scoring in the game.
Jack Owen made his second relief appearance since returning from an injury and allowed one run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Ryan Watson relieved Owen in the fifth and turned in a scoreless frame.
Cody Greenhill took the mound trailing by four in the bottom of the sixth and held the Commodores scoreless in the frame before surrendering the runs in the three runs in the seventh.
Ward led the offense with a career-high three hits for the second time in the series and finished the weekend 7-for-13 from the plate. Woley's home run in the eighth was his third of the season.
The Tigers return to The Plains and host Alabama (26-17, 5-14 SEC) in a three-game series next weekend.