In the Jax College Classic, Auburn defeats No. 18 Iowa thanks to a 7th inning comeback.
In the seventh inning of their opening game in the Jax College Classic, Auburn was down 3-2 to the No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes. However, they used big swings and excellent relief pitching to break the game open and win 7-5.
Auburn’s Mason Maners hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and jump-start the offence, which had been stale up to that point. The Tigers led 5-3 at the end of the seventh inning thanks to a two-run shot by Bobby Peirce.
Brody Brecht, the Hawkeyes’ starting pitcher, lit up the Tigers in the first six innings, striking out and giving up just two runs on two hits. However, the Tigers capitalised when the Hawkeyes turned to their bullpen.
“We persevered,” head coach Butch Thompson remarked. “We saw a top-10 pick overall, but after facing a tonne of obstacles for the first six innings of the game, we saw a chance when they went to the bullpen and Maners’ one swing got us back tied.”
Christian Hall’s solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Auburn some insurance runs. Before Iowa’s two-out home run in the top of the ninth inning made it 7-5, Auburn had a 7-3 lead thanks to a sacrifice fly by Cooper Weiss that scored Javon Hernandez.
The Tigers’ bullpen, which included Cam Tilly and John Armstrong, was crucial to the victory. Armstrong allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings pitched, striking out two. Tilly, a true freshman, pitched two innings and gave up just one hit while striking out three Hawkeyes to keep them in check. Will Cannon entered the game for the final out and allowed a two-run home run before securing Auburn’s victory.
Thompson stated, “When we got to Armstrong, the three relievers that entered the game tonight did not walk a batter.” “All three performed well. Once our offence picked up steam, I believe that’s how we crossed the finish line—all three of us jammed the ball into the strike zone.
After working two innings, Tilly earned the win—the first of his Auburn career.
Tilly remarked, “I was just telling myself to breathe, just use my stuff, and attack.” “I knew I had enough; I just needed to attack and have faith in my defence.”
Chase Allsup, who never settled into a rhythm and gave Iowa an early 3-1 lead before turning things over to the bullpen, was given the starting nod by Thompson. After pitching 3.1 innings, he gave up three runs and five hits.
Leading the Tigers at the plate, Christian Hall went 2-for-4 with a home run. Bobby Peirce, who went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, was in his wake. Maners also had a home run and an RBI while going 1-for-2.
When the Tigers play Wichita State in game two of the Jax College Classic on Saturday at noon CST, they will have a short turnaround. You can watch the game live on D1Baseball.com.
