AUSTIN, Texas – No. 6 Auburn dropped the middle game at No. 1 Texas 8-3 Friday night at Disch-Falk Field.
The Tigers managed six hits, five of which came from Ike Irish and Bristol Carter, while Texas scored two runs in four frames in the game to claim the series.
“These guys are getting to the floor and putting us away,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “It’s just a strike zone thing for me. Last weekend, we got out of each of those innings. Tonight, they get two, and two, and two. They don’t have the big inning, but every time they had a guy sitting at second base they got just enough to get through. Just one or two of those moments with two outs, it could’ve been a different ballgame tonight.”
Auburn (27-12, 9-8 SEC) threatened by putting a pair aboard with nobody out in the second, but back-to-back popups and a strikeout ended the inning with the game remaining scoreless.
Cade Fisher faced the minimum in the first two innings thanks to the team’s 33rd double play of the season, but Texas (32-5, 15-2 SEC) scored a pair of runs on three hits and a walk to take a 2-0 lead in the third.
The Longhorns doubled their lead with two more runs on three more hits in the fourth, but Auburn answered on Irish’s second two-run homer in as many games in the top of the fifth. Deric Fabian drew a leadoff walk and Irish lifted his team-best ninth homer of the year out to left center.
Dylan Watts faced the minimum with the team’s second double play of the game in the bottom of the fifth, and the Tigers threatened again in the sixth. A leadoff hit batter and one-out single put two aboard, but Texas went to pair of bullpen arms to get out of the inning unscathed. Fabian hit a screaming line drive to center field with two outs, but Will Gasparino made a sliding catch to end the frame.
Texas added to its lead with two more runs on a two-run single in the sixth, but Irish came back around in the seventh and hit his second homer of the game, third of the weekend, and team-best 10th of the season. It marked Irish’s third multi-homer game of the year, all coming in the last five series.
The Longhorns drew a one-out walk and hit batter, both of which came in to score on a RBI single and error in the bottom of the seventh to cap off the scoring in the contest.
Texas went to closer Dylan Volantis for the ninth inning, bringing the freshman back on back-to-back days, and Auburn loaded the bases on a single and two hit batters. However, a strikeout ended the game.
The series finale between the Tigers and Longhorns is scheduled for Saturday at 12 p.m. CT.