Aggies salvage game three

AUBURN | No. 6 Texas A&M won’t leave Auburn empty handed.

The Aggies beat the 13th-ranked Tigers 5-1 Sunday to salvage a game in the series and avoid a sweep. Auburn won 4-1 Friday and 11-5 Saturday to take the series.

The Tigers fall to 19-2 overall and 2-1 in the SEC while Texas A&M improves to 17-4 and 1-2.

Tanner Burns (2-2) took the loss allowing three runs, two earned in 5.0 innings. In his first SEC start, the freshman struck out four and issued three walks. Calvin Coker held the Aggies to two runs on two hits in 4.0 innings. He struck out five and issued one walk.

“I thought our guys battled,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “If Tanner Burns can keep learning from each and every outing when he goes out and plays against an SEC team, he’s going to do nothing but continue to grow and do some exciting things."

Steven Williams accounted for Auburn’s lone run with a solo home run over the right field wall in the sixth inning, his second in as many days. The freshman tied Brett Wright for the team lead with five home runs and increased is team-best RBI to 28.

Josh Anthony had two of Auburn’s four hits.

“We had runners at second and third and we needed one more big hit in the seventh inning to draw all the way back to them,” Thompson said. “That was one opportunity but they didn’t give us much.”

Texas A&M batted .400 and scored four of its five runs with two outs. Six of the Aggies’ seven hits came with two outs.

TAMU starter Mitchell Kilkenny (5-0) earned the win allowing a run on four hits in 6.1 innings. He struck out five and walked two. Nolan Hoffman held the Tigers without a hit over the final 2.2 innings to earn his third save of the season.

Auburn returns to action Tuesday at Georgia Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on ACC Network Extra and WatchESPN. The Tigers return to conference play next weekend at No. 4 Kentucky.