AUBURN, Ala. – No. 6 Auburn dropped another hard-fought middle game, losing to No. 9 Oklahoma, 2-1, to even the series Saturday night at Plainsman Park.
The Tigers put the tying run in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and Mason McCraine hit a hard ground ball back up the middle, but Oklahoma second baseman Kyle Branch made a diving play and threw to first for the final out, one of his nine assists in the game.
“That was the best defense played against us. Great defense by Oklahoma tonight for sure,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “We were invested the whole game. Offensively, we just couldn’t get it started enough.”
Trailing by two in the bottom of the eighth, Auburn made things more interesting as Chase Fralick hit a one-out homer off the top of the batter’s eye to cut the deficit to one. The home run was Fralick’s eighth of the season and second in as many games this weekend.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit,” Fralick said. “He’s got a good fastball, so I was ready for the fastball and put a good swing on it.”
After LJ Cormier and Abe Chancellor combined to keep the Sooners off the scoreboard in the top of the ninth, Eddie Madrigal drew a one-out walk to put the tying run aboard in the bottom of the inning. Pinch runner Cade Belyeu moved into scoring position on a wild pitch but was left stranded on the aforementioned defensive play of Branch.
The loss was Auburn’s fifth one-run loss in a middle game in Southeastern Conference play, including its fourth straight in a middle game at home.
“We had a good plan and some good at-bats,” Fralick added. “That’s baseball, when you hit balls hard. The second baseman made some good plays, but we were on the barrel tonight, and that’s nothing to hang our head on so we’ll come back out here tomorrow.”
Oklahoma (29-13, 11-9 SEC) loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the second and started the scoring with a sacrifice fly. However, Auburn starter Jake Marciano (3-3) did a good job to minimize the damage by inducing a ground ball to third that resulted in an inning-ending double play and keep it a 1-0 game.
Auburn (29-13, 11-9 SEC) threatened to even the score with a leadoff single, two-out single and two-out walk to load the bases in the fourth. However, Oklahoma starter Cameron Johnson (6-1) got out of the inning unscathed with a groundout.
After limiting the damage in the second, Marciano faced one batter over the minimum in the third and fourth before Oklahoma doubled its lead with a timely hit in the fifth. Deiten LaChance delivered his fourth two-out hit of the series to extend the Sooners’ lead to 2-0.
Marciano ultimately suffered the loss after allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.
Making his second appearance of the week, Cormier turned in a season-high 3.1 scoreless innings to help keep the Tigers in the game.
Also making his second appearance of the week, Abe Chancellor recorded the final two outs of the top of the ninth to keep it a 2-1 game. Chancellor induced a ground ball that resulted in an out and third and stranded a runner in scoring position with a strikeout.
However, the Tigers were robbed of the big hit they were looking for to send the game to extra innings.
The rubber game between the two teams is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.