Auburn falls to Florida in hard-fought series opener

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn baseball fell to No. 10 Florida, 4-2, in a hard-fought series opener at Plainsman Park Friday night.
 
The Tigers (16-19, 2-14 SEC) tied the game on a two-run home run from Ryan Bliss with two outs in the seventh, but Florida (27-11, 10-6 SEC) got both runs back in the top of the ninth to win it.
 
"I thought it was a great college baseball game headed to the last couple frames," head coach Butch Thompson said. 'That was about as good as Jack Owen has thrown for us. Fabian, their best player, got off a swing. After that, I think Jack and our guys handled them well. Florida earned everything they got off of him, which was just two runs."
 
Senior lefty Jack Owen turned in his second straight quality start, allowing two runs on seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
 
Owen allowed back-to-back hits to start the game but used a double play and strikeout to get out of the first unscathed. He retired nine straight from the first until allowing a one-out single followed by a two-run home run from Jud Fabian in the fourth.
 
After Florida went to Christian Scott out of the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth, Steven Williams narrowly missed a game-tying, two-run home run on a deep drive that was tracked down at the wall in center field.
 
Kason Howell led off the seventh with a double to left, and Bliss tied the score with a two-out, two-run home run over the wall in left-center. The home run was Bliss' ninth of the year.  
 
Trace Bright entered in relief to start the eighth and struck out Jud Fabian with a runner in scoring position to end the frame.
 
The Tigers put the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out in the eighth but couldn't advance the runner.
 
Florida took a one-run lead on a one-out triple in the ninth and extended the lead to 4-2 on a single to right.
 
Needing two runs to extend the game, Auburn sent the top of the lineup to the plate in the home half but went down in order thanks to a running catch in left-center in the frame.
 
Four Tigers turned in multiple hits led by Tyler Miller's three. Bliss, Rankin Woley and Cam Hill added two hits apiece.
 
The two teams are tentatively set to play Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. The weather will be re-evaluated at noon, and a final decision will be made at that time.