AUBURN, Ala. – No. 13 Auburn claimed its third straight series-opening victory with a 7-3 win against Lipscomb Friday night at Plainsman Park.
The Tigers (7-1-1) received contributions up and down the lineup, highlighted by three doubles and the 200th career hit for Kason Howell, while a trio of arms issued only three walks and matched a season high with 14 strikeouts.
"Great all the way around," head coach Butch Thompson said. "We had a 45-minute rain delay, and I thought our guys were ready to play and needed to be. That's back-to-back weeks where it felt like the Friday night was an SEC Friday night."
Hitting out of the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Howell's 200th hit came in his 200th career game played and his three doubles matched a career high previously set in the regional last year.
"In the leadoff spot you're always trying to create momentum for the offense," Howell said. "We've got so many good guys behind us. Just getting on base and letting those guys work behind me is really the most important thing, and just trying to not let that starter get settled in too good."
Tanner Bauman made his first start in an Auburn uniform and allowed one run on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts in 3.2 innings. He gave way to John Armstrong (3-0, 4.00), who pitched 2.1 innings and allowed a run on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Chase Allsup then made his first relief appearance of the season and allowed one run on one hit with two walks and five strikeouts in the 3.0-inning save.
"Nate (LaRue) calls a great game, watching guys scoot up in the box and making the right pitch calls, and I trust him a lot," Allsup said. "If my fastball is working then that's what we have to keep going with."
After Bauman worked a 1-2-3 top of the first, Auburn wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as Howell hit a leadoff double, marking his 200th career hit, and came in to score three pitches later on Cole Foster's RBI single back up the middle.
Bauman retired seven of the first eight batters he faced, including four via the strikeout, but Lipscomb (5-4) evened the score with a solo homer in the top of the third.
The Bisons threatened to take the lead with runners on the corners and one out in the top of the fourth, but a safety squeeze was unsuccessful as Bauman made a nice play and flipped home to record the second out. Armstrong entered with two runners on and two out and got a strikeout to end the threat.
Riding the momentum, the Tigers reclaimed the lead on a solo homer from Bryson Ware to start the bottom of the fourth. The home run was Ware's fourth of the season, all coming in the last six games. Already 2-for-2 on the night, Howell stepped back to the plate and ripped his third double of the game down the left field line to score a pair and extend the lead to 4-1.
Lipscomb cut its deficit to two on another solo homer in the sixth, but the Tigers answered in the home half when Chris Stanfield singled, stole second, and Nate LaRue hit a RBI single off the wall in left to get the run right back.
After Armstrong turned in 2.1 innings in relief of Bauman, Allsup entered in the top of the seventh and blew away the Bisons with three strikeouts on fastballs.
Stanfield came back around in the bottom of the seventh and hit a two-RBI double off the top of the wall in left to extend Auburn's lead to 7-2. Making his first career start, Stanfield turned in multiple hits and RBI for the first time in an Auburn uniform.
"He just looked the part," Thompson said of Stanfield. "He absolutely looked comfortable, looked the part running the bases, in the outfield, and especially standing at the plate. It's pretty exciting for a true freshman to draw a first start like that, to fill those big shoes and to excel."
The Bisons got their third solo home of the game to start the ninth inning and put two runners aboard on a hit-by-pitch and walk, but Allsup buckled down to record the final three outs and seal the win.
Game two between the Tigers and Bisons is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park.
‘Great all the way around’: No. 13 Auburn downs Lipscomb
