Tigers take control in series opener at No. 3 South Carolina

Game recap courtesy of Auburn Athletics

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Auburn controlled the game from start to finish and took the series opener at No. 3 South Carolina 8-3 Friday night at Founders Park. 

The Tigers improved to 9-2 in series openers this season with the win, and the game marked the sixth time the Tigers have held the opponent to three or fewer runs to start a series. 

“The guys did an amazing job,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “We’ve been here before, and we’re at the stage now where this is a good win but we know we’ve got to get right back in the middle of this because we have to have more before we leave town.”

The 3-2-1 as Auburn travels to No. 2 South Carolina

The Tigers pitching trio of Tommy Vail, Tanner Bauman and Will Cannon held South Carolina to three runs or fewer for just the fourth time this season, including the second time in Southeastern Conference play. 

“I knew I had to go as deep as I could, trust the guys behind me and trust the bullpen,” Vail said. “Luckily, I was able to give us a couple more good innings and get us in position to win. I was able to get some swings and misses up in the zone. I knew the defense was going to play well behind me, so I knew I could fill it up and let them work.”

Cole Foster hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fourth inning to highlight a quartet of hitters, along with Chris Stanfield, Cooper McMurray and Bryson Ware, who collected two hits apiece. 

“Cole Foster was stellar,” Thompson added. “That really stuck out to me. Nate LaRue did another nice job for us defensively. If we can keep playing consistent, good things will happen.”

Auburn (24-17-1, 8-11 SEC) wasted no time in jumping out to an early lead in the top of the first. Stanfield started the game with a single to center on a 3-2 pitch. After he moved around the bases on a wild pitch and ground ball, the freshman outfield stole home with two outs to start the scoring. It marked just the second time an Auburn player has stolen home since 2010. 

“It was split second,” Stanfield said of his daring break toward home plate. “I saw him take that one step like he’s getting in the windup and just trusted my instincts and went. I feel great. I’m proud of the guys, great win,” Stanfield said. “BT talked the whole time about coming down here and being us and we did it, so I’m proud of us.”

South Carolina (34-7, 13-5 SEC) answered with a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first, but Vail (4-1, 3.78) did a good job to minimize the damage after the Gamecocks had runners on second and third with nobody out. 

After both Vail and South Carolina starter Will Sanders (4-2, 6.28) settled down in the second and third innings, Auburn capitalized with a bloop and a blast to reclaim the lead, 3-1. Ware fisted one the other way to shallow right field and Foster deposited the next pitch delivered from Sanders way over the right field fence for his sixth homer of the season. 

Vail struck out three batters to work around a one-out walk in the bottom of the fourth, and the Tigers steady offensive approach continued in the fifth. After a hit-and-run from Stanfield put runners on the corners, Ike Irish lifted a sacrifice fly to the fence in center field to score LaRue. Three straight singles from Bobby Peirce, McMurray and Ware then extended the lead to 6-1 through the top of the fifth. Five of the team’s first six runs were scored with two outs. 

The Gamecocks responded with a run on a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth, but Vail again minimized the damage by inducing an inning-ending double play, one of two the Tigers turned in the game. 

Bauman entered to start the bottom of the sixth inning and put up a pair of big zeroes in his first two innings of work. Meanwhile, the Tigers added to their lead with two runs in the top of the seventh. Stanfield drew a leadoff walk and Irish smoked a two-strike double down the right-field line to score his fellow freshman from first. Two batters later, McMurray drove in his 11th run in the last four games with a single off the wall in right to make it an 8-2 ballgame. 

South Carolina cut its deficit to five with a two-out double in the bottom of the eighth, but Bauman buckled down to get a flyout to center to end the inning and strand a pair. Cannon then entered to start the ninth and held South Carolina in check to finish things off. 

Game two between the Tigers and Gamecocks is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.