AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn secured an 11-1 run-rule victory over Florida A&M on Tuesday night at Plainsman Park, demonstrating exceptional skill in all aspects of the game. The Tigers' pitching, defense, and offense worked in harmony, resulting in an efficient and decisive win.
Chase Allsup and Cam Tilly combined forces on the mound, allowing just one run on two hits, issuing one walk, and recording 12 strikeouts. Their solid pitching provided a strong foundation for the Tigers' victory.
"Their stuff was absolutely set today," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. "I think their stuff set will play competitively on the weekend like what we’ve been used to in the past. They were good. That is why they got out there today: to keep trying to find, develop and get your stuff set, and they both accomplished that."
Allsup delivered a standout performance, striking out a career-high eight batters over 5.0 innings. He didn't allow a baserunner until the fourth inning or a hit until the fifth. Allsup emphasized the importance of his approach, saying, "The biggest thing we’ve been working on in bullpens is balancing the ball on both sides of the plate. That’s been a really challenging thing so far, and to be able to come out here and produce like we were wanting is a really big thing."
Tilly took over for Allsup and continued the dominance, retiring all six batters he faced with four strikeouts.
Auburn's offense backed up the pitchers' efforts, exploding with eight runs in the third inning. The Tigers capitalized on five hits, four walks, and a hit batter to create a comfortable lead.
"We were trying to pass it to the next person," outfielder Bryson Wright said of the offensive strategy. "I don’t think anyone was trying to get the big hit. Everybody was just trying to find barrels, and they were falling for us."
The Tigers' scoring spree began with a bases-loaded balk and included RBIs from Kaleb Freeman, Caden Green, Cooper Weiss, and Cooper McMurray. Auburn added a run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Chris Stanfield.
In the seventh, freshman right-hander Tilly continued his dominant performance, recording two more strikeouts on 13 pitches. Christian Hall's leadoff home run and an RBI single from Eric Guevara sealed the victory, ending the game early.
Between Allsup and Tilly, 70 of Auburn’s 103 pitches were strikes. McMurray stood out offensively, reaching base five times and driving in his team-best 49th run of the season. Wright also contributed with two hits, marking his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
With the win, Auburn improved to 20-20 overall and 2-16 in the SEC. The Tigers will continue their Southeastern Conference play with a road trip to LSU this weekend, facing the Tigers from Friday through Sunday.
