JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – No. 4 Auburn fell behind in the first inning and failed to make a comeback in a 4-1 loss at No. 24 Jacksonville State Tuesday night.
“We just didn’t do enough. I thought we were pretty lethargic offensively, but give those guys credit. They keep winning games and have done a good job all season,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “If you don’t bring your A game in one of the categories you could absolutely lose to the teams that we’re playing down the stretch.”
The game wrapped up an eight-game road trip during which the Tigers went 5-3 with a pair of top-10 series wins. Twelve of the Tiger’s last 15 games have been played on the road with the team going 8-4 during the stretch.
Marcel Kulik turned in a season-high 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to give the Tigers a chance at a comeback. However, trailing by three, the Tigers left two runners on base with nobody out in the seventh and grounded into an inning-ending double play with a runner on third in the eighth.
“I feel good. My stuff has been pretty good, and I’m really happy to have such a good defense behind me whenever I’m on the mound,” Kulik said. “It’s good. I can trust them to throw my stuff and let the people put it in play and they’ll make plays.”
One of seven programs in the country with 40 or more wins, Jacksonville State (41-11) wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard with a walk and two hits, including a two-out RBI single, in the first inning.
Auburn (35-16) threatened to answer with a pair of baserunners in scoring position in the second, but a called third strike ended the inning without damage.
Griffin Graves (2-1) retired the next seven batters he faced after allowing the run on a two-out single in the first, but Jacksonville State extended its lead to 4-0 on two walks, two hit batters, a hit, a sacrifice fly and a safety squeeze in the fourth. Three of Jacksonville State’s first four runs reached on free passes.
Gamecocks’ starter Ryan Geraghty held Auburn scoreless and to just two hits, both from Chris Rembert, in his first five innings of work. He retired the first two batters faced in the sixth before Bub Terrell’s two-out single ended Geraghty’s career-long outing.
Abe Chancellor and Kulik combined to hold Jacksonville State scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings, and Auburn got on the scoreboard with three straight singles to start the seventh. With two runners in scoring position and nobody out after a stolen base, Jacksonville State reliever Jud Files got back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to minimize the damage.
The Tigers threatened again in the eighth as the first two reached on a hit-by-pitch and walk, but a flyout to right and double play ended the inning.
Garrett Brewer worked a clean bottom of the eighth, but the Tigers also went down in order in the ninth to end the game.
Auburn wraps up the regular season by hosting No. 5 Georgia (41-11, 21-6 SEC) Thursday through Saturday at Plainsman Park.