It was a bleak beginning to conference play for No. 12 Auburn.

Behind a dominating start by Carter Holton, No. 8 Vanderbilt run-ruled the Tigers 11-1 in eight innings Friday night at Hawkins Field.

Auburn falls to 13-4 overall and 0-1 in the SEC.

“I think they got on the fastball in the second inning,” AU coach Butch Thompson told the Auburn Network. “We never could answer. Ike (Irish) had a couple of hits early for us but not enough linking up and not enough guys being able to get up on a fastball.”

Holton (3-0) held AU to one run on four hits in 7.0 innings to earn the win. He struck out nine and issued one walk.

Irish doubled with one out in the first inning and came around to score on a wild pitch to give AU an early 1-0 lead.

The Commodores responded with 11 unanswered runs as AU scattered just four hits over the final eight innings.

AU starter Chase Allsup (1-1) took the loss allowing seven runs on nine hits and two walks in 4.0 innings. He struck out four.

Parker Carlson followed Allsup with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Hayden Murphy allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in 1.0 inning and Zach Crotchfelt two runs, one earned, in 0.2 innings.

Irish and Cooper Weiss had two hits apiece for AU.

The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. CT on SECN+/ESPN+.