AUBURN, Ala. – No. 4 Auburn held No. 5 Georgia to two runs for just the second time this season but fell, 2-1, in a hard-fought series opener Thursday night at Plainsman Park.
The contest marked Auburn’s seventh one-run loss in league play and was the team’s 15th one-run game of the season.
“Well pitched on both sides. I thought (Jake) Marciano did an amazing job and (Jackson) Sanders as well,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “Well-played game. We just didn’t get enough guys on base. We left the zone a little too much. (Georgia did) a little more damage from a very elite offense. When you can hold them to that, you feel like you would have a chance, but their pitchers absolutely matched us, and they wind up with three more hits.”
Jake Marciano (4-5) suffered the tough-luck loss while turning in his seventh quality start of the season, and Jackson Sanders tossed 3.0 scoreless innings in relief with five strikeouts behind him.
“Our pitchers did a great job tonight. They both looked fresh. Marciano looked really sharp, he was locating pitches very well. Sanders just keeps pounding the strike zone,” catcher Chase Fralick said. “I know our offense will pick us up tomorrow. They made good pitches. We made some good swings, had a couple balls that were hit hard and got caught. It’s baseball. We’re going to go out there tomorrow, compete and try to beat Georgia.”
Marciano’s seven quality starts are the most in a season since Casey Mize turned in 10 quality outings in 2018.
“Jake did a great job on the mound,” Sanders added. “I came into the game thinking if I hold them there, we were going to get the win. I think any other night, it falls our way but tonight it didn’t.”
Auburn (35-17, 16-12 SEC) wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, scoring the game’s first run on three hits to take a lead in the bottom of the first. Mason McCraine hit a leadoff double into the gap in left center before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Eric Guevara then brought him home with an RBI groundout to put the Tigers on the board.
After Maricano held the Bulldogs (42-11, 22-6 SEC) scoreless through 4.2 innings of work, Daniel Jackson hit his SEC-best 26th home run of the season to tie the game in the fifth, and Ryan Wynn hit a two-out solo homer of his own to give Georgia a 2-1 lead in the sixth.
Auburn threatened to immediately reclaim its lead in the bottom of the fifth as Eddie Madrigal stood on second after a leadoff walk, but Georgia shortstop Kolby Branch made a full-extension leaping catch to take away what could’ve been a RBI single from Eric Guevara.
Marciano ultimately held the nation’s best offense to two runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched.
Jackson Sanders came on in relief for Marciano in the seventh and kept Auburn within striking distance as he turned in 3.0 scoreless innings and allowed three hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Despite surrendering a hit and a walk in his first inning of work, Sanders stayed composed and recorded two swinging strikeouts to strand runners at first and second and give the offense a chance to respond following the seventh-inning stretch.
However, following its three hits in the opening frame, Auburn managed just one hit the rest of the way. Georgia reliever Matt Scott retired the Tigers in order in the seventh and eighth innings to maintain a one-run lead.
Branch started the ninth inning by laying down a successful bunt single and tried to stretch it to second on an errant throw, but Chris Rembert showed off his arm strength with a fade-away throw to Brandon McCraine at second to record the first out. Sanders then silenced Georgia’s hopes of adding insurance runs, tallying back-to-back swinging strikeouts.
With the tying run aboard on a one-out walk from Ethin Bingaman in the ninth, the Bulldogs closed the door on Auburn with a strikeout and groundout to secure the game one win.
The middle game between the Tigers and Bulldogs is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network.