Auburn homers six times, falls late to Texas A&M

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn tied the most homers in a game since 2010 but ultimately dropped the middle game against Texas A&M, 11-9, Saturday at Plainsman Park.
 
"A four hour plus game will test your attention span," head coach Butch Thompson said. "I felt like we got to a point in the ballgame where either team was going to be really excited about winning this one and really disappointed about losing.
 
"At the end of the day I think Texas A&M squeaks it out because they just didn't give the extra outs," Thompson added.
 
Tyler Miller and Steven Williams each homered twice and drove in three runs in the contest. Ryan Bliss and Rankin Woley added solo home runs for the second straight day.
 
Auburn's six home runs tied a six-homer game against Northeastern in 2018 for the most long balls in a game since homering seven times against Mississippi State in 2010.

The Tigers one through five hitters were a combined 9-for-21 with eight runs, eight RBI and all six home runs in the game. 
 
After falling being 2-0 on a two-run double from Jordan Thompson in the first inning, Auburn responded in a big way as Bliss, Miller and Woley blasted back-to-back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 lead. It marked the first time the Tigers hit three straight homers since 2010.
 
Texas A&M scored a pair of unearned runs in the second to reclaim the lead, but Auburn tied it up at four on William's solo home run in the fourth. The home run marked the 35th of Williams' career, putting him in a tie for eighth in program history.
 
The Aggies scored three more in the fourth to take a 7-4 lead, but Auburn answered with three runs of its own in the home half. Miller blasted a no-doubt home run on top of the Player Development Center in right field, and Williams followed it up two batters later with a  two-run shot.
 
Will Morrison held Texas A&M in check in the top of the fifth, and the Tigers took a 9-7 lead on a RBI double from Miller and run-scoring passed ball in the bottom of the frame.
 
Texas A&M cut into the two-run lead on a RBI single in the top of the sixth, and left-hander Joseph Menefee entered in relief in the sixth and held Auburn scoreless in the final four frames.
 
With Carson Swilling (1-2, 2.96) on in relief, the Aggies took the lead as a pair of unearned runs scored on a throwing error in the top of the eighth and added another on a RBI single to left.
 
The series finale between the Tigers and Aggies is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.