Tide trip Tigers, runs to 4th round
ALABAMA 7, AUBURN 4
HOOVER, Ala. — Tommy Seidl and Caden Rose each had three hits, Garrett McMillan struck out eight in a six-inning start and Alabama beat Auburn 7-4 on Thursday in the SEC Tournament.
Ninth-seeded Alabama (40-18) advances to the fourth round of the tournament for the third consecutive season. Auburn (34-21-1), the No. 5 seed, has been eliminated.
Alabama collected 14 hits — from eight different players — and went 4 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Seidl opened the scoring with a one-out home run in the first inning and he added an RBI single in a three-run fourth.
Auburn got within 5-3 in the sixth inning after Bryson Ware hit a solo home run and Ike Irish scored on a wild pitch. But Alabama loaded the bases in the bottom half before scoring on a sacrifice fly and a single by Drew Williamson.
The Tigers had the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth before Cooper McMurray popped up to left.
TEXAS A&M 5, SOUTH CAROLINA 0
HOOVER, Ala. — Trevor Werner went 3 for 4 with an RBI triple, freshman Justin Lamkin struck out nine in a seven-inning start and Texas A&M beat South Carolina.
Texas A&M (34-24), the No. 10 seed, advances to the semifinals on Friday. South Carolina (39-19) has been eliminated.
Lamkin (3-3), Chris Cortez and Matt Dillard combined for a one-hit shutout. South Carolina second baseman Will Tippett led off the fifth inning with a single before Lamkin retired the next three batters.
Texas A&M walked three straight batters in the eighth before Dillard entered to end the threat with a strikeout of Gavin Casas.
Lamkin tied his season high with nine strikeouts in his longest outing of the season. Texas A&M starters have combined for 17 strikeouts in 17 scoreless innings, while allowing just five hits in three games.
Austin Bost started a three-run fourth with an RBI double.
WEDNESDAY’S LATE GAME VANDERBILT 6, AUBURN 4
HOOVER, Ala. — Davis Diaz had a pair of run-scoring singles, Patrick Reilly pitched five innings in relief and Vanderbilt beat Auburn to complete Wednesday’s second round in a game that didn’t end until 1:20 a.m. on Thursday.
The fourth-seeded Commodores (3817) advanced to play top-seeded Florida to close out the third round in Thursday night’s game.
Auburn took a 1-0 lead when No. 2 batter Cole Foster homered in the top of the first inning.
The Commodores answered in the bottom of the first when Enrique Bradfield Jr. led off with a walk, stole second and third, and scored on a single by Diaz. Jack Bulger’s sacrifice fly scored Diaz for a 2-1 lead.
Leadoff hitter Chris Stanfield pulled the Tigers even with a solo home run in the top of the third.
Vanderbilt regained the lead in the sixth when Diaz walked and later scored on a fielder’s choice by Troy LaNeve. Diaz singled in Bradfield to push the lead to 4-2 after seven. Jonathan Vastine had an RBI single and Calvin Hewett drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth to push the lead to four.
Cooper McMurray led off the ninth with a walk and Bryson Ware followed with a two-run homer for Auburn, but Reilly (4-3) retired the next three hitters to wrap up the win.
Ware’s homer was only the second hit allowed by Reilly after taking over for starter Sam Hliboki to start the fifth. Reilly struck out eight.
Chase Allsup (1-2) started and took the loss for the Tigers. He allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks, pitching 5 innings.