Weekend Review: Tigers Find Out The Last Out Is Always The Hardest to Get

#22 Boston College @ Auburn

• Friday: 8-2 L
• Saturday: 16-1 W
• Sunday: 11-9 L

I feel like sometimes we more focus on the Sunday games in these articles because it is the last thing we saw. This week though, it’s the only thing to talk about. After not being able to string together anything of note on the offensive side on Friday night, Auburn ran rough shot over BC and carried that over on Sunday. After BC took a quick 1-0 lead, Auburn answered with a 2 run bomb from Cam Hill to make it 2-1 after the 2^nd. After that, Auburn would continue to poor it on and led 9-1 after the 7^th and took that same lead into the 9^th. That’s when the wheels came off. BC would score a jaw dropping 9 in the 9^th and would push it to extra innings where Luke Gold would bash a wall scrapper over the monster and BC would take the series in the most shocking fashion, 11-9. It marks the second weekend in a row where the Tigers led into the later innings (against Oklahoma it happened in the 8^th) and fell in extras. This one however is a brass knuckle shot to the kidneys. The frustrating part in all this is that Auburn played well until the end. You can’t lay this at the offense’s feet…they scored 9 runs on the day after scoring 16. You can’t really lay this at pitching or defense, the only error was back in the 6^th inning, and that runner was left at 1^st, and Trace Bright and Blake Burkhalter combined for 7.1 innings of 7 hit ball with 1 run scored. In my opinion, this is a case of having to throw guys that haven’t had experience enough to in some positions on the weekend. Auburn is currently without their entire weekend rotation. Think about that. Cody Greenhill and Jack Owen didn’t pitch at all this weekend. Richard Fitts threw 5 innings but was rocked for 5 runs on 7 hits and is now out with an ankle injury. Toss in Carson Skipper, who threw 2/3 of an inning and looked good in his 3 batters but had to leave the game after tweaking a muscle in his back. Could Skipper go an inning more, maybe two and get it to Burkhalter in the 9^th, Auburn wins walking away. However, that obviously didn’t happen, and it cost Auburn this weekend. Like I said last weekend, I’d rather lose weekends in February and March and give me wins in April and May and that stays true. The main thing Auburn needs to do is get healthy, and hurry. In seven days, Auburn will be preparing for a trip to Oxford, MS to open SEC play.

PITCHING PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Trace Bright is the easy pick here, but I will give it to Mason Barnett. Mason had a rough outing against Oklahoma last week, only lasting 1.1 inning and giving up a run. This weekend he bounced back and began a run for Auburn pitching where they gave up just 2 runs over 17 innings. The Sophomore went 5.1 innings, giving up a run on 2 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts on Saturday. It was a really nice bounce back performance against an offense that will take any inch you give them as Auburn found out.

HITTING PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

I try to mix it up from week to week, but it can’t be anyone but Tyler Miller. Miller couldn’t meet the level he left Texas with, but going 6 for 12 with 5 runs scored, 6 RBIs including a 3 run bomb on Saturday, and a stolen base to boot isn’t anything to sneeze at. There’s no way that this production can stay at this level, but if it does and some of the other Tigers get the hitting bug that he has, then things could get really interesting. Brody Moore should also get some light shined on him for a really nice Sunday, going s 3 for 4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs.

ON DECK

The Tigers hit the field again on Tuesday in Birmingham at Regions Field against UAB at 6pm before returning home to take on Little Rock this weekend for 3 games. So far, UAB is 6-4 on the year and salvaged the Sunday game against Kennesaw State at home. Little Rock has the mid week off before heading to Auburn with a 5-5 record after taking the series from North Alabama on the road in Florence this past weekend. They also have a series split against Oral Roberts to their name, the same ORU team that just took a series from LSU in the Box this past weekend.

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