After starting the season 4-1 including a win over North Alabama in seven innings at Toyota Field in Huntsville Alabama, the No. 17 Auburn Tigers (5-1-1) would take on a team with some west coast flair in the USC Trojans (3-3-1) at Plainsman Park in a three-game weekend from February 24-26.
In a weekend originally set to be played in California, Auburn would win two out of three games, with the third and final game ending in a 12-12 draw.
Both teams would start the series out slow with each team combined only producing four hits, and stranding six runners on base, that would change in the fourth inning, as USC struck first blood with a Connor Aoki sac fly.
Auburn would bounce back in the bottom of the same inning, thanks to a Cole Foster double and a Bobby Peirce single that each scored two leading to an Auburn 4-1 lead going into the top of the fifth.
"The last week I haven't been hitting the way I've wanted to, and just coming out early and working with Coach Gross has been crucial for us," Foster said. "We're just trying to keep it simple, stay within ourselves and not do too much."
Justin Kirby would homer to left field to be the Tigers lone other run, while USC was able to grind their way to two more runs over the course of the game as Auburn picked up its first win 5-3.
Starting for the Tigers was Chase Allsup who gave 3.2 innings of work giving up five hits and a run, along with earing two strikeouts. John Armstrong would earn the win with 0.1 inning of work, throwing two total pitches.
"We hung around, had a couple of big hits,” said Thompson, “Everybody competed.”
The second of the three-game series is where the fireworks of the offenses really started to show as Auburn won 12-6.
The game started out as USC’s Johnny Oldstead hammered a single-run homerun to left center, and the pressure from the Trojan’s continued in the third, as Oldstead singling to score one and Ryan Jackson also singling to score one to make it 3-0 going into the third.
Auburn responded in the bottom of the fourth as Bryson Ware, Cooper McMurray, and Brody Moss all singled and scoring a run apiece to make it tied at three.
Auburn would take the lead in the sixth inning as the Tigers scored five runs highlighted by Ike Irish would singled to score one and make it 8-3.
USC would close the gap in the eighth by three runs but a Bobby Ware two run shot to center would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. McMurray would hit a two run home run as well two at-bats later to further break the camel’s back, with Auburn winning 12-6.
"I'm really proud of us, the way we battled back," Ware said, "We got down pretty early but stayed in the fight and were able to come back. I'm really proud of the way we fought today."
Winning pitcher was Armstrong who picked up his second win of the weekend and of the year, getting a strikeout in 1.2 innings of work.
"I think the difference was we had the two biggest innings and when we scored, we were able to go back out on defense and put up a zero," Thompson said, "We responded each and every time and stayed in the ballgame."
the last game of the weekend would end with a little bit of a different feeling as both teams produced fireworks off the bat, but could not edge out the other ending in a 12-12 tie.
Much like the previous game USC would start out the same way with Olmsted hitting a two-run shot to left field, this time Cole Gabrielson would add on his own two-run shot to make it 4-0 going into the bottom of the first.
Auburn would come close to making it tied back up after Ike Irish hit a triple and would reach home on a scoring error for a technical inside the park homerun, scoring two, Bryson Ware would get a solo homerun to make it 4-3.
Both teams would continue to trade shots as Justin Kirby would go 2-4 with two homeruns one being a three-run, and the other being a grand slam.
"I feel good. I've obviously had some success with the long ball, but I'm seeing the ball really well," Kirby said. "I thought I've put together a lot of competitive at bats. Every game I go into I really just try to find a way to help a team win as much as I can. I try to produce as much as I can and be of use."
USC and Auburn left a combined 20 runners on base and would end the game in a state of limbo finishing with a 12-12 tie.
Neither team had a winning pitcher but Chase Isbell did start for the Tigers not getting an out but giving up four runs, Zach Crotchfelt would fill in and give 3.2 innings of work and giving up four runs.
"I'm not used to it ending that way. I want to win or lose, so that was a little awkward," Thompson said. "We haven't been in that situation very much, so I don't know if I have words. I know you're not allowed to be sad until the season is over.
Auburn will be in action again on March first inside Plainsman park to play Florida A&M at 6:00pm.
