Efficient debut for Burns
AUBURN | Tanner Burns was dominating from the get-go.
In his first college start, the true freshman struck out five of the first six batters he faced to lead Auburn to a 3-0 win and a sweep over Longwood Sunday afternoon at Plainsman Park.
“I was really nervous,” Burns said. “But right when I got on the mound, it’s the same game, just a higher level so I just had to put that in the back of my head.
“(The strikeouts) felt good. I was happy I did that, but I try to keep my emotions to myself.”
The Tigers out-scored Longwood 34-1 on the weekend, holding an opponent to just one run in a three-game series for the first time since Ole Miss in 1988.
Longwood threatened Burns in the fifth, loading the bases with no outs on three consecutive singles. But the next three batters couldn’t get the ball out of the infield against Baseball America’s top-ranked freshman, which included a sharply hit ball to Luke Jarvis at second base that he fielded and threw a runner out at home.
Burns (1-0) earned his first career win allowing four hits, all singles, in 5.0 innings with six strikeouts and no walks. He threw 64 pitches, 46 for strikes.
“It’s one of the best debuts I’ve seen,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “I thought he attacked from the first pitch. I think the fifth inning was my favorite with nothing he really did wrong. A couple of balls fell and you’ve got bases loaded, nobody out. Just how he competed through that inning, I thought was great.”
Auburn’s bullpen finished off the Lancers as Elliott Anderson allowed one hit and struck out two in two scoreless innings and Calvin Coker threw a perfect eighth and ninth with three strikeouts to earn his first save of the season.
The Tigers didn’t commit an error during the series.
“I feel really good,” Coker said. “Friday night Casey set the tone, Sunday Tanner set the tone. I don’t think we had an error all weekend. It’s really comforting having a defense like that behind you. It’s easy to throw strikes at that point.”
Auburn scored two runs in the third on a Conor Davis bloop double that fell inside the right field line to score Jay Estes and Edouard Julien. Dylan Ingram was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth to give the Tigers their third run.
Estes, Davis and Will Holland had two hits apiece. Julien drew two walks and scored two runs.
Auburn (3-0) returns to action Tuesday against Georgia State. First pitch at Plainsman Park is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on SECN+ and WatchESPN.