AUBURN | It came down to the last pitch in both games.

Kason Howell’s walk-off home run in the ninth won game one 4-3 but the senior couldn’t come through with the bases loaded in the 10th as Yale held on for a 5-4 win in the nightcap at Plainsman Park.

Auburn splits the doubleheader but takes 2 of 3 in the series to improve to 5-2 on the season.

“Too many times, even in advantage counts, we just didn’t meet it at the front door. Advantage counts we were fouled off,” said Auburn coach Butch Thompson. “We did hit two or three home runs, but we didn’t create enough offense. For the first time I thought our bats kind of lagged and didn’t get in position.

“I do have to give Yale some credit, I thought both games they didn’t use many guys and expected them to go and did a great job. I just didn’t think we got our barrel in position, especially in advantage counts. That has not been the case for us.”

The Tigers totaled just nine hits in 19 innings Saturday, three for extra bases.

Yale jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game one as AU starter Joseph Gonzalez allowed three runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings. AU started cutting into that lead with two runs in the fourth on an RBI-groundout by Cole Foster and RBI-single by Howell.

Sonny DiChiara tied it in the fifth on a solo home run over the centerfield wall.

The AU bullpen held Yale to just two hits over the final 6.0 innings. Carson Skipper allowed one hit and struck out four in 3.0 innings, Mason Barnett threw a scoreless seventh and Blake Burkhalter was perfect over the final 2.0 innings to earn the win.

Howell, the leadoff batter in the ninth, drove a 3-2 pitch just to the left of the batting eye in centerfield to give AU the win.

He was 3 of 4 with two RBI in game one.

"I wasn’t really trying to end the game there but it kinda just happened … I was just trying to get a base runner on in that last inning and good things happen when you’re simple with the bat,” said Howell.

“It was awesome. I saw Gabe first and he told me to enjoy it while I was rounding third and then my teammates at home plate. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Trace Bright had a dominating start in game two. He held Yale to just three hits over 6.0 innings with six strikeouts.

Trailing 1-0 in the seventh, Nate LaRue and Howell led off with back-to-back walks, moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Brayton Brown and scored on a sharply hit single to right field by Foster.

Yale tied it right back up with a solo home run in the eighth, but AU answered quickly as Blake Rambusch hit the first pitch in the bottom of the inning over the centerfield wall for a 3-2 lead.

Yale tied it up again with an RBI-double in the ninth and then took a 5-3 lead in the 10th as three AU pitchers combined for two walks, a single and four wild pitches.

Ben Bosse (0-1) took the loss allowing a run on a walk and two wild pitches.

Ryan Dyal walked with the bases loaded in the ninth to cut the lead to 5-4, but with two outs, Howell got under a pitch and flied out to shallow centerfield for the final out.

Auburn hosts Alabama State Tuesday and UAB Wednesday. Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.