Auburn couldn’t unlock the Texas bullpen.

Max Grubbs and Dylan Volantis shutout 6th-ranked Tigers on three hits over the final 6.1 innings in the top-ranked Longhorns 3-2 win Thursday night at Disch-Falk Field.

“We’ve been in every ballgame. Every one of these has been tight,” AU coach Butch Thompson told the Auburn Network. “Samuel Dutton did it again. Ike (Irish) did it again with the home run early. We got off to a good start.

"The backend of that bullpen for those guys is so good. I think that was the difference tonight.”

Auburn falls to 27-11 overall and 9-7 in the SEC.

UT starter Jared Spencer had to exit the game in the third inning due to an apparent arm injury, shortly after giving up a two-run home run to Irish.

Dutton, AU's starter, allowed two runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. He struck out six and didn’t issue a walk.

Carson Myers (0-2) took the loss allowing a solo home run to Kimble Schuessler with two outs in the seventh inning. Cam Tilly allowed one hit and struck out two over the final 1.1 innings.

"Their tying run and go-ahead run were just pitches we’d like to have back," said Thompson. "It was a runner at second, two outs, off a mound visit to talk about having that open base on the first pitch, and we just left a breaking ball up out over the plate. And I think we did the same thing on the home run."

All five runs in the game were scored with two outs.

The series continues Friday night at 6 p.m. CT and concludes Saturday at noon. Both games will be on SECN+/ESPN+.