Tigers drop midweek game

AUBURN | It was one of those games for No. 5 Auburn.

The Tigers couldn’t generate much offense in a 5-2 loss to Troy Tuesday night at Plainsman Park. Auburn falls to 30-13 a day after receiving its highest ranking in 14 years.

“I just thought Troy out-executed us in every phase of the ballgame,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “They had 14 hits and left 14 guys on base and with two strikes we just couldn’t finish a batter. Left pitches up out over the plate and they executed time and time again on the mound.

“It didn’t seem like we got the leadoff guy on and it seemed like we got out the same way over and over and over.”

The Tigers managed just seven hits, six of which were singles, and struck out eight times in a lackluster performance at the plate. The bottom five batters in the lineup were a combined 1-of-18.

Troy jumped out to 4-0 lead with a run in the first and then a three-run home run by Jackson Cofer in the fifth.

Auburn got two back in the fifth on a two-out, two-RBI single by Jay Estes before the Trojans answered with a run in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. Estes and Jonah Todd had two hits apiece.

Christian Camacho (2-2) took the loss allowing four runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings. Corey Herndon allowed a run in 0.2 innings. Elliott Anderson allowed just two hits in 1.2 innings and Daniel Robert allowed just one hit the final 2.1 innings.

“Daniel Robert did a nice job, extended outing at the end to hold them,” Thompson said. “Elliott Anderson hadn’t been out there in a while and did a good job. We got him in the ballgame, he got us out of an inning and then ended his outing on a strikeout. Hopefully, that’s something he can take and grow.”

Max Newton (2-0) earned the win holding Auburn to two runs on five hits in 5.0 innings. Cory Gill pitched 3.0 scoreless innings and Marc Skinner earned his 10th save of the season with perfect ninth.

Auburn returns to conference play for a three-game series at No. 8 Mississippi State this weekend. Game times are 6:30 p.m. CT Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday. Friday’s game is on SECN+ and WatchESPN while Saturday and Sunday’s are on the SEC Network.