No. 11 Auburn falls in doubleheader vs. Southeastern

AUBURN, Ala. – No. 11 Auburn fell in both games of Saturday's doubleheader against Southeastern, losing game one 8-3 before a furious ninth inning rally ultimately ended in a 8-7 loss in game two.
 
Trailing 8-2 with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two, back-to-back walks cut the deficit to four before Ike Irish hit a bases-clearing double to make it a one-run game. Two more walks reloaded the bases, but a flyout to center ultimately ended the game with the tying run 90 feet away.
 
"We're trying to teach a group of players that it's more about the tenets of the game," head coach Butch Thompson said. "It's not really who you play, meaning the opponent. It's not who you play, meaning which of our players are on the field. It's about how you play, and it's about ownership of home plate."
 
Irish led the way with four hits and three doubles in the doubleheader, marking his 11th and 12th multi-hit games of the season, while Chris Stanfield drove in a team-high four runs on the day.
 
GAME ONE
 
Leading 3-0 through five, Auburn surrendered eight unanswered runs in the final four frames to fall in the middle game of the series.
 
Making his second start, Zach Crotchfelt faced the minimum thanks to a caught stealing and double play in the first two frames. Fellow freshman Stanfield got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the bottom of the second. The long ball was the first of Stanfield's career and his fifth extra-base hit in his first 27 at-bats.
 
Crotchfelt made a spectacular diving catch that resulted in a double play to end the top of the third. The freshman lefty struck out the side in the fifth and ultimately pitched a season-high 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing three hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
 
After Crotchfelt exited the game, Southeastern cut Auburn's lead to 3-2 with a pair of two-out RBI singles in the sixth.
 
Chase Isbell entered in relief to start the seventh and retired Southeastern in order, but the Lions plated three runs in the eighth to take the lead. The tying run was initially called out at the plate on an infield grounder. However, it was eventually overturned and the visitors went on to score two more runs on RBI singles to make it a 5-3 game.
 
A solo homer in the ninth extended Southeastern's lead to 6-3, and two more unearned runs came in to score after an error which would've resulted in the third out extended the inning.  
 
Irish, Kason Howell and Caden Green each collected two hits apiece, including a double, in game one.
 
GAME TWO
 
Riding its momentum from the end of the first game, Southeastern jumped out to a 3-0 lead through two innings. Auburn threatened to cut into the deficit with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the second, but a double play ended the threat.
 
The Tigers got on the scoreboard on a one-out RBI double from Stanfield in the third, but the freshman outfielder was out trying to extend it to a triple.
 
Drew Nelson entered in relief to start the fourth and retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts, but the Lions extended their lead back to three on a leadoff walk, stolen base and RBI single.
 
Southeastern pushed its lead to 5-1 with an unearned run in the sixth, but the Tigers got the run right back on a leadoff homer from Howell. The fifth-year outfielder sent one off the scoreboard but hustled around the bases for an inside-the-park homer for good measure to make it a 5-2 game.
 
Trevor Horne retired all four batters he faced from the end of the sixth through the seventh inning, but the Lions extended the lead to 8-2 with three runs in the top of the eighth. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch brought in the first run, and the final two scored on a sacrifice fly and RBI single through the left side.
 
Down to its last out, Howell and Stanfield drew bases-loaded walks to make it an 8-4 game, and Irish shot the first pitch he saw down the left-field line to clear the bases and make it a one-run game. Bryson Ware was intentionally walked, and Justin Kirby walked on four pitches to reload the bases. However, with an advantage count, a flyout to center field was corralled to end the game.  
 
The Tigers (12-3-1) host Georgia Tech (13-3) Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network before opening conference play at Arkansas next weekend.