GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After a back-and-forth affair in the early stages, Auburn ultimately dropped the middle game at No. 2 Florida 12-5 Saturday night at Condron Ballpark.
The game saw three lead changes in the first three innings, and a five-run third inning gave Florida the lead and ultimately proved to be the difference. Every time Auburn scored in the top of an inning, the Gators scored more runs in the bottom half.
"That was the difference in the ballgame for me," head coach Butch Thompson said of Florida's answers. "All three times we scored tonight, not only did they score the very next half inning, but they scored more than we scored in the top half. They answered us each and every time we scored and created offense."
Auburn (18-8-1, 3-5 SEC) started the scoring in the first inning for the second straight day. Cole Foster hit a leadoff single through the right side and Bobby Peirce walked before a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. Ike Irish then hit a grounder to the right side to drive in his fifth run of the weekend.
Florida (23-5, 6-2 SEC) got the run back and then some with an infield single followed by a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. However, Auburn matched the Gators with a two-run homer in the third to reclaim the lead, 3-2. Foster drew a leadoff walk and Peirce snuck one over the wall and inside the right field pole for his second homer of the season.
The Gators answered with five runs in the bottom of the third to run John Armstrong from the game and reclaim the lead, 7-3. The inning started with an error, and three of the runs that ultimately scored were unearned.
After putting just one baserunner aboard in the fourth and fifth innings, Auburn threatened with a pair of walks in the sixth, but Florida starter Hurston Waldrep ended the inning with a strikeout.
Following Armstrong in his first career start on the mound, Christian Herberholz pitched 2.0 scoreless in relief with three strikeouts. Zach Crotchfelt followed Herberholz and recorded the final out of the fifth before Florida tacked on a run in the sixth after a foul ball dropped and ultimately led to a leadoff walk that came around to score.
The Tigers loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk an inning later, and this time Bryson Ware came through with a two-RBI single back up the middle to cut the deficit to 8-5. The base hit extended Ware's hit streak to 11 games and his reached base streak to 28 games. Auburn reloaded the bases on a two-out walk, but a groundout to the pitcher ended the inning.
Florida again answered and extended its lead to six with three two-out runs in the bottom of the inning. Jac Caglianone hit a two-RBI triple off the fence in right center before a RBI single from Josh Rivera made it 11-5.
Parker Carlson entered in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Gators capped off the scoring with a RBI single in the frame.
Peirce led the way with a 2-for-3 night with two walks, two runs and two RBI. Foster matched Peirce with two hits, and Ware matched him with two RBI in the game.
The series finale between the two teams is scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.
Auburn, No. 2 Florida all square after middle game
