BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – No. 25 Auburn defeated UAB, 6-4, Tuesday night at Regions Field to secure its ninth win away from home this season.
"We played hard. We did enough," head coach Butch Thompson said. "It's good to learn some stuff as we go into another weekend.
"These guys have played a lot of games on the road the past few weeks," Thompson added. "We're excited to come back to Plainsman Park and hopefully play great in front of a home crowd."
Chase Allsup pitched 2.1 innings to finish the game and earn his first collegiate save. The freshman righty entered in the seventh with the tying run on base but needed just three strikeouts to end the threat.
"Chase Allsup was one of our top guns tonight to finish that ballgame," Thompson said. "He was on a rhythm tonight. That'll be huge for him moving forward."
"This has been a dream come true," Allsup added. "We have a lot of talent that is capable and able to get the job done."
Auburn (20-9) wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the first. Blake Rambusch scored on Brody Moore's sacrifice fly to right after drawing a leadoff hit-by-pitch and moving to third on a single from Sonny DiChiara.
Starting pitcher Mason Barnett retired the first two Blazers he faced, but a two-out walk was followed by back-to-back singles to tie the score, 1-1.
Barnett settled down to retire nine of the next 10 batters he faced, and the Tigers went back to work at the plate with a pair of runs in the fourth. Brooks Carlson started the frame with a double and came in to score on a UAB throwing error. After doubling earlier in the game, Bobby Peirce reached on a fielder's choice and ultimately scored on an RBI single from Nate LaRue to extend the lead to 3-1.
UAB (19-9) looked to answer in the bottom half, loading the bases with two outs, but Barnett escaped the jam with his fifth strikeout of the game. The junior righty allowed one run on three hits with three walks to go along with his five strikeouts in four innings.
With Jordan Armstrong (3-1, 3.97) on in relief, the Blazers cut Auburn's lead to 3-2 on a solo home run in the fifth, but Armstrong bounced back to retire the home team in order in the sixth. The senior righty ultimately earned the win and stuck out four in 2.1 innings.
Auburn added to its advantage in the seventh when DiChiara followed a single from Rambusch and walk from Bryson Ware with a two-RBI double down the left-field line.
UAB got one of the two runs back in after a leadoff single came in to score on a RBI fielder's choice in the bottom of the seventh, but Auburn answered with an unearned run in the top of the eighth. LaRue hit a single through the left side, stole second and scored on a UAB error to make it a 6-3 lead.
The Blazers cut the Tigers' lead to two on a solo homer in the ninth, but Allsup got a ground ball and strikeout to end the game.
"It comes down to knowing your pitchers, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they have in any given day," LaRue said. "Chase had lot of composure and maturity. It was really big for him to come in and just dominate."
DiChiara and LaRue led Auburn's offense with two hits apiece, while DiChiara also drove in multiple runs for his team-best eighth time this season.
Auburn returns to Plainsman Park to host No. 12 Vanderbilt (21-7, 4-5 SEC) for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
