JONESBORO (2/18/11) - The Arkansas State baseball team couldn't overcome a pair of big innings by the No.23-ranked Auburn Tigers Friday night in both team's season opener, suffering a 12-5 setback in front of a sellout crowd of 4,096 at Plainsman Park.
The Red Wolves trailed just 6-5 midway through the seventh inning, but the Tigers plated four runs their next at-bat to push their advantage to 10-5 before adding two more in the eighth to set the final score.
Auburn opened the scoring with four runs in the third inning as well. The two teams traded runs the next two innings, leaving Auburn with its four-run lead in tact at 6-2. The Red Wolves then added two runs in the top of the sixth and another in the seventh to cut Auburn's lead to only one run.
Auburn finished with just two more hits than ASU, 13-11, but ASU also issued seven walks and hit two batters. The Tigers had three extra-base hits as well, while all 11 A-State hits were singles.
Six ASU players finished with at least one hit, including freshman Claude Johnson with a team-high three. Johnson was one of five ASU players to record an RBI, joining Michael Faulkner, Jordan Castaldo, Daniel Short and Logan Uxa. Slade Smith got the victory for Auburn, giving up four runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. Andy Ferguson absorbed the loss for the Red Wolves, allowing five runs on five hits while also striking out four.
"They did a good job pressuring us, and offensively you can see why they are ranked," said ASU head coach Tommy Raffo. "Playing an SEC team on the road is very difficult. I think the missed opportunities to make outs hurt us and opened the door for them with some extra hitting. At the same time, this is a pretty good team we played today and they showed some flaws we have that we must be able to fix."
Auburn took advantage of four walks and one hit batter in the bottom of the third inning, scoring four runs on just one hit to grab an early 4-0 advantage. Without recording a hit, the Tigers managed to load the bases with two outs. A walk and hit batter brought the game's first two runs across the plate. Zach Alvord then hit a 2-RBI single to finish the four-run Auburn outburst as Justin Hargett followed with a fly out.
Nine of ASU's first 11 batters grounded out, but the Red Wolves' got their first hit in the fourth inning. With one out, ASU got back-to-back singles from Todd Baumgartner and Castaldo to give it runners at first and third base. Short followed with an RBI-ground out to move Castaldo to second and bring Baumgartner home. A-State's third hit of the inning came at the hands of Tyler Smith, but Castaldo was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Justin Frajedas.
With one out, Auburn got back-to-back hits in the bottom of the inning to set up Kevin Patterson with a sacrifice fly that allowed Casey McElroy score. ASU was able to get out of the inning with any further damage when Smith threw out Tony Caldwell attempting to steal second, which also ended starting pitcher Ferguson's night.
ASU started the fifth inning with back-to-back singles by Johnson and Uxa before Anthony Hect laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runners to second and third. Faulkner followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Johnson, but a ground out by Zach Maggio ended the inning.
John Koch replaced Ferguson on the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning and while he didn't allow an earned run, the Tigers were able to score their sixth run on an error. Creede Simpson started the inning with a single and made his way around to third on two consecutive ground outs. Simpson then reached home on a throwing error to first base that would have ended the inning.
A-State got three hits in the sixth inning, including RBI-singles from Johnson and Uxa. With one out, Castaldo got the Red Wolves' started with a single and then advanced to second on a ground out. Tyler Smith followed with a walk, setting up Johnson's and Uxa's at-bats. However, Auburn was then able to get a strikeout out to end the inning without any further damage.
Faulkner started the seventh with a single and was eventually brought home on a sacrifice fly by Castaldo. ASU was able to get just one hit in the eighth and was retired in order in the ninth.
Auburn exploded for six hits in the bottom of the seventh, their most of the night for a single inning. The Tigers also got two of their three doubles in the inning as they were able to pull away.
ASU will resume play at the Auburn Invitaitonal Saturday with a 5:00 p.m. game against UAB (0-1).
