HOOVER, Ala. – Bryson Ware broke Auburn's season record by hitting his 24th home run but No. 16 Alabama beat the No. 13 Tigers 7-4 Thursday in an SEC Tournament elimination game.
One day after tying 2010 SEC Player of the Year Hunter Morris with home run No. 23, Ware led off the top of the sixth with his history-making blast.
"It's really cool to do it at this stadium at the SEC Tournament with a good crowd in the stands against Alabama; it makes it a little sweeter," Ware said. "Some outstanding athletes have worn this jersey. It's really cool to see some of that hard work pay off. I can't be more thankful."
"He's worked so hard," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said of Ware. "He never quit on himself. He absolutely stayed in the fight. It's one of the neatest things I've been a part of. I'll forever hold him in high regard."
Alabama outhit the Tigers 14-7, grabbing an early lead on Tommy Seidl's solo home run off Konner Copeland in the bottom of the first inning.
Auburn answered in the top of the second when four straight Tigers reached base with two outs. Brody Wortham singled to right to score Cooper McMurray to tie the score at 1-1 before a bases-loaded strikeout ended the inning.
Alabama reclaimed the lead in the third when Seidl doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly to right, barely beating an outstanding throw from Bobby Peirce.
Tanner Bauman relieved Copeland (4-2) in a fourth inning that saw Alabama score three runs on four hits and a pair of stolen bases to lead 5-1.
Chris Stanfield's two-out single in the top of the fifth ended a string of nine consecutive hitters retired by Alabama starter Garrett McMillan (4-2), the winning pitcher.
After Ware's record-breaking homer, Ike Irish followed with a double, advanced to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch to trim the Tigers' deficit to 5-3.
Alabama got the runs back in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs to end Bauman's outing. Will Cannon relieved Bauman, allowing two inherited runners to score on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single before the Tigers ended the inning with a double play.
"When we scored two in the sixth and they came right back and scored two, I thought that was a difference in the ballgame," Thompson said. "It felt like a climb the whole way."
Auburn rallied in the top of the ninth, eventually bringing the potential tying run to the plate with one out. Stanfield drew a leadoff walk, stole second and third and scored on Cole Foster's single to bring the Tigers within three runs.
Irish drew a one-out walk to put two runners on, but Alabama reliever Hunter Hoopes entered, earning the save by recording the final two outs on a strikeout and popup.
"The two-out hits didn't happen for us and it did happen for them today," said Thompson, whose team struck out 13 times and left 11 runners on base.
Hoping to host a second consecutive NCAA regional for the first time in program history, Auburn (34-21-1, 17-13) returns to the Plains to await Sunday's regional host sites announcement and Monday's 11 a.m. CT selection show.
"It would be huge," Ware said. "Hopefully we can get that opportunity again. Hopefully I haven't played my last game at Plainsman Park. The ultimate goal is Omaha."
"We'll pick up the pieces and we will absolutely start sharpening again and get this team ready to play," Thompson said.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
