AUBURN, Ala. – No. 14 Auburn returned to Plainsman Park for the first of four games this week and fell 4-2 to UAB Tuesday night.
Marking the team’s first home game since Mar. 18, the game was played in front of 5,094 fans, the second largest midweek crowd in program history.
“It was a beautiful night, great crowd, but I thought that was the most lifeless offensive performance that we’ve had,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “We’re in between (pitches). I don’t think we’re being aggressive enough, and we need to go back to the drawing board. The thing about baseball is we have three more games this week. We get to get right back out there.”
Auburn (20-9) started the scoring in the bottom of the first as Bristol Carter reached on an infield single and advanced on a throwing error before eventually scoring on a RBI infield single from Cooper McMurray.
The Tigers faced the minimum in the first 11 batters of the game thanks to a trio of double plays, but a two-out walk followed by a two-run home run gave UAB the lead in the top of the fourth.
Auburn responded with a run on back-to-back doubles from McMurray and Chris Rembert in the bottom of the inning, but UAB turned in its second straight inning with two runs to reclaim the lead in the fifth.
Trailing 4-2, Auburn put two runners aboard in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings but couldn’t push a run across. The Blazers turned an inning-ending double play with two on and one out in the eighth before erasing a one-out single in the ninth with its third double play to end the game.
Ben Schorr and Griffin Graves combined to pitch the final 4.2 innings in scoreless fashion while striking out five and not walking a batter. Both turned in season-long outings.
McMurray led the offense by matching a season high with three hits, marking his team-best 14th multi-hit game of the season, while Carter and Rembert added two hits apiece.
Auburn continues Southeastern Conference play with three games vs. archrival No. 8 Alabama (25-4, 6-3 SEC) Friday through Sunday at Plainsman Park.