TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Tommy Vail pitched 6.2 scoreless innings and Auburn broke open a close game in the late innings and held on to defeat Alabama 8-4 Friday in their series opener at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
"We needed somebody to step up," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. "It was his best outing. It was clean, it was efficient, it was great baseball. We needed this one on the road and Tommy absolutely silenced a very good lineup."
The Tigers (20-13-1, 5-8 SEC) scored five two-out runs before putting the game out of reach with three ninth-inning runs, taking advantage of a throwing error and Cole Foster's two-run blast to right that traveled 405 feet.
"Throughout the night my at-bats got better and I happened to hit a hanging changeup and did what I could with it," Foster said.
With two outs in the second, Kason Howell walked and Chris Stanfield followed with a 400-foot smash that sailed over the wall in left-center for a 2-0 Auburn lead.
"Big rivalry. It's definitely important to get the first game," Stanfield said. "Kason had a great at-bat before me to give me the opportunity. I wanted to help the team and I was able to get a big swing."
The Tigers doubled their lead in the seventh, loading the bases on walks to Cooper McMurray and Stanfield sandwiched between Howell's 65th double, tops among active D-I hitters. With two outs, Caden Green singled up the middle to score McMurray and Howell for a 4-0 Auburn advantage.
"He got me on a curveball in the dirt and I was not expecting him to throw another one," Green said. "He left it right down the middle so we took advantage of it. Momentum right back up the middle and took it that way."
Vail pitched Auburn's best SEC start to date, striking out four while allowing only two hits while pitching into the seventh inning. Alabama batters were 2-for-20 versus Vail.
"It felt good to get the weekend off to a good start," said Vail (3-1), who earned the victory. "It's my job to go as deep as I can and save the bullpen so we have more bullets to fire later on. It felt good to throw up zeros and know the guys behind me were playing their tails off."
"When Tommy's on, I think he's one of the best pitchers in the country," Foster said. "He looked phenomenal. We love playing behind him. When his stuff is going, he's fun to watch."
After a pair of walks in the bottom of the seventh, Tanner Bauman relieved Vail. Alabama (24-11, 4-9 SEC) loaded the bases on an infield single but Bauman induced a fly to right to end the inning, stranding all three runners.
The Tigers added an insurance run in the eighth when Bobby Peirce was hit by a pitch leading off. With two outs, Peirce stole second, then scored on McMurray's single to right on an 0-2 pitch.
Bauman pitched around two two-out walks in the bottom of the inning, striking out Ed Johnson on a full count to preserve the shutout.
Alabama scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth on three hit batters, two walks and two singles to bring the potential tying run to the plate with two outs. Will Cannon relieved Bauman, recording the final two outs including a pop up to Foster at short to end the game.
Seeking to claim the series, the Tigers will start freshman Drew Nelson Saturday at 6 p.m. CT.
Auburn beats Alabama in series opener behind Tommy Vail's gem
