AUBURN | Blake Rambusch started Friday night’s game at Texas A&M 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. He ended it leading Auburn to a come-from-behind 6-5 win at Blue Bell Park.
The Tigers’ leadoff hitter sparked a ninth-inning rally and hit a clutch two-out, RBI-single in the 10th to push across the winning run.
“We just fought,” AU coach Butch Thompson told the Auburn Network. “We just talked about this needing to be a throwdown. We had one great game against Ole Miss, but we just didn’t play as good as we had the whole season. Just how disappointed we were in front of our home fans. This place is bonkers. You can’t even hear yourself think or talk to your players.”
Blake Burkhalter came on in the ninth to strike all three batters he faced to record his fourth save of the season. Auburn improves to 16-6 overall and 2-2 in the SEC.
“Burkhalter pitched Tuesday to fight and give us that win. He was sharp tonight. Those three strikeouts in the 10th were huge for us,” said Thompson.
Trailing 5-3 with one out in the ninth, Rambusch hit a sharp single to right and moved to second base on a two-out single by Sonny DiChiara. Josh Hall pinch-ran for DiChiara and was able to score along with Rambusch on a double down the right field line by Brooks Carlson.
Pinch-hitter Mason Land followed with a single that bounced off the pitcher, but was called out after a lengthy delay to determine if he was using a legal bat.
With runners at first and third and two outs in the 10th, Rambusch drove a single to right field to bring home Nate LaRue for the winning run.
“The biggest part was trying to give the at-bat to the next person. It’s just not trying to do too much in a big situation, and we did that exactly,” Carlson told the Auburn Network. “We did a really good job of that and I’m proud to be a part of it. That was a team win. Burky came in, Sonny had a couple of big hits right there and Rambo getting that extra run to top it off, that was big. That’s a big team win.”
Trailing 1-0, the Tigers struck for three runs with two outs in the third on an RBI single by Kason Howell, RBI double by DiChiara and RBI single by Carlson.
TAMU tied it 3-3 with two runs in the fifth, took a 5-3 lead in the sixth on a two-run home run by Dylan Rock.
DiChiara was 3 of 4 with one RBI, Carlson 2 of 4 with three RBI and Rambusch 2 of 6 with one RBI.
Jordan Armstrong (2-1) earned the win throwing 3.0 no-hit innings out of the bullpen with four strikeouts.
“It was an unbelievable feeling,” Armstrong told the Auburn Network. “Coming into the game, I knew I had to just go out there and compete, give my team a chance and just throw up zeros, and that’s what happened."
Auburn starter Hayden Mullins was strong through the first 3.0 innings allowing a run on two hits with five strikeouts. He left the game after being hit in the head by a line drive with a runner on first and no outs in the fourth. He was able to walk off the field under his own power.
“On Mullins we got a good report there. He was on,” said Thompson. “He was slide-stepping and landing strikes. It wasn’t just the pitching, it was all of the nuances of the game that it looks like he’s finally putting it together after getting a few innings.”
Carson Skipper struggled to throw strikes allowing four runs on four hits and two walks in 3.0 innings.
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. CT and concludes Sunday at noon. Both games are available on SECN+/ESPN+.
