MADISON, Ala. – The No. 23 Auburn Tigers won their last game before conference play begins, topping the University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks 6-1 Tuesday at Toyota Field.
Sophomore right hander Alex Petrovic started the game for Auburn, and he earned the win, going 5.1 innings and allowing just two baserunners. He was perfect through five before UT Martin catcher Tommy Koch singled to the left side to get the Skyhawks their first baserunner.
It took some time for Auburn to get the bats going, but they broke through in the bottom of the third when Cade Balyeu’s sacrifice fly scored Eric Snow. Snow and first baseman Cooper McMurray combined for the Tigers’ other five RBI. Snow hit a two-run home run in the fifth and an RBI single in the sixth before McMurray plated the Tigers last two runs with a two-RBI single later that inning.
The Tigers’ pitching staff continued where Petrovic left off, allowing just one run the rest of the way. John Armstrong came on to relieve Petrovic, and he went two thirds and allowed one of Petrovic’s runners to score. Andreas Alvarez pitched the seventh and the eighth, going six up, six down. Ryan Hetzler finished the game for the Tigers, striking out the final batter to secure Auburn’s 14th win on the year.
Auburn Head Coach Butch Thompson spoke highly of the environment at Toyota Field, saying “Huntsville is an Auburn town… always great to see people that may not otherwise see us at Plainsman Park… it’s been a favorable crowd.”
“We’re about to start ten SEC weekends on Friday at home versus Vanderbilt,” Thompson said. “But can we just continue to come out and find our rhythm each in every day?”
Indeed, Auburn’s conference schedule opens this weekend at Plainsman Park. The Tigers take on the Vnaderbilt Commodores Friday at 6:00 p.m. Tune into the Tigers’ SEC-opener on the Auburn Sports Network.
