Tigers power past Samford in slugfest
A season-high 16 runs was just enough for No. 10 Auburn Tuesday night.
The Tigers held on for a 16-15 win over Samford at Joe Lee Griffin Stadium in a game that featured a combined 17 pitchers, 31 hits and lasted more than four hours.
Auburn led 8-1 after the top of the second inning before Samford battled back to make it 10-8 in the fourth. The Tigers pulled ahead 16-8 in the sixth but didn’t score in the final three innings as the Bulldogs closed to within a run in the eighth.
Auburn is now 10-2 in one-run games after finishing 1-11 last year.
“When you’re up seven and up eight and wind up winning by one, you don’t like those one-run victories, but we’ll take it,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “Some of our guys had trouble getting out of innings but I thought we had a great approach. We didn't swing a many balls outside of the strike zone outside of one or two guys. Our whole lineup got going again for the most part.”
Troy Dixon led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and T.J. Dixon followed with a sharp line drive right at Daniel Robert on the mound, who snagged it and threw to first for a double play. Robert retired the final batter on a groundout to earn his first-career save.
“I had a little bit of jello legs out there. I don't think I was as sharp as I wanted to be but I just got it done,” Robert said. “You have to give credit to Samford for never giving up. They've got tough bats in their lineup.”
Dylan Ingram hit a grand slam in the second and Robert, who started the game in right field, hit a three-run home run in the sixth to power Auburn’s offense.
“Daniel Robert was tremendous with the bat, in the field and especially on the mound,” Thompson said. “I thought we put the ball in our best competitors hands. They get a hard hit to start the ninth and feeling pretty good and he makes an unbelievable play for two outs and that was the difference.”
Auburn batted around in the second, scoring seven runs on three hits, two walks and three hit batters. Ingram provided the fireworks with his grand slam that sailed well over the wall in left center.
The Tigers added two more in the third on a bases-loaded single by Conor Davis, three in the fifth on Robert’s blast over the right field wall and three in the sixth on an RBI triple by Jonah Todd, RBI single by Jay Estes and a sacrifice fly by Davis.
Davis was 4-of-5 with four RBI, Todd 4-of-4 with four runs scored and two RBI, Estes 2-of-5 and Robert 1-of-2 with four RBI. In his first game since injuring his ankle March 3, Bo Decker was 1-of-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Calvin Coker (3-1) earned the win allowing two runs on three hits in 3.2 innings out of the bullpen. Auburn starter Christian Camacho lasted just 1.1 innings, allowing six runs on five hits.
“This is one of those small parks that scares you to death as a pitching coach,” Thompson said. “You know it’s going to be an offensive night. I’m just glad we came out ahead because we had those two big leads and almost surrendered them.”
Eleven Samford pitchers combined to throw eight wild pitches, issue eight walks, allow 14 hits and 16 earned runs. Tristan Widra (1-3) took the loss allowing five runs on three hits in 1.0 innings out of the bullpen.
Auburn, which is 25-10 overall and 8-4 in the SEC, returns to action this weekend with a three-game series at Tennessee. Thursday night’s opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.