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TAKEAWAYS: Auburn baseball defeats UAB on Tuesday night

What can we learn from Auburn's midweek lockdown of UAB?
Lindsay Crosby|
TAKEAWAYS: Auburn baseball defeats UAB on Tuesday night
TAKEAWAYS: Auburn baseball defeats UAB on Tuesday night

Auburn baseball continued their hot start with a 4-1 victory over UAB in Plainsman Park on Tuesday night. What can we take away from the contest? 

Tommy Vail is a DUDE

Facing the scenario of playing five games in six days, Auburn needed a long outing from tonight's starter, TCU transfer Tommy Vail. 

And boy did Vail deliver. 

The lefty went 5.2 innings, with eight strikeouts. He didn't allow his first baserunner until the 6th inning, walking two consecutive batters before being lifted for Chase Allsup. This follows last Wednesday's start versus Florida A&M, where he allowed no hits in four innings with two walks and six strikeouts. 

Said Thompson after the game, "He didn't give up a hit tonight. I think he just wore out - pitch count north of 80, and then he got the two walks there to kinda signify the end." 

Discussing what Vail did well, Thompson broke it down succinctly, "He's throwing an elevated fastball that's pulling some swings off, but: a curveball, a slider, and he did throw a handful of changeups tonight as well. [...] He's really laid good tracks." 

On the season, Vail has appeared four times for a total of 13.1 innings, with one walk and no runs allowed with seventeen strikeouts. This won't be the last time you see him take the ball for Auburn, but it may be the last time he does it in a midweek start. 

Bryson Ware continues to dominate

The senior third baseman entered the contest with one of the best slugging percentages in the country, having homered in six of his last eight games, including all three games of the series against Lipscomb. 

Make that four straight games. 

Ware sent a 404' bomb to left-center, off of the scoreboard, one of three hits he collected in the contest. The two RBIs give him 19 on the season, and he finished the game a double short of the cycle.

His plus defense at the hot corner was on display as well, making a leaping catch in the fourth to preserve Vail's no-hitter and having several rocket throws across the diamond to catch UAB baserunners. 

Cole Foster put on a defensive clinic 

The junior shortstop from Texas, fresh off his Shortstop of the Week award, flashed the leather all night. Making the transition from 2nd base to shortstop, like Brody Moore and Ryan Bliss before him, Foster made difficult picks on hard-hit grounders, accurate throws across the diamond, and even threw behind a runner on a slow roller to short to eliminate a runner in scoring position late in the contest. 

The positioning of Ware at third, Foster at short and Caden Green at second has the potential to be one of the best defensive infields Auburn's put on the field in a long time. 

Chase Allsup looks dominant in relief once again

The sophomore from Dothan, sporting magnificent facial hair for "Mustache March", once again came in and finished the game, picking up a save the long way around. Allsup gave up three hits and a run once the contest was already decided, with three strikeouts. The big righty, formerly Auburn's Friday night starter, looks more comfortable working out of the bullpen like he did his freshman year, running the fastball up to 96 and mixing in his big curveball to disrupt the timing of an opposing lineup. He now has two saves on the year, both coming in the last four games, and looks the part of the late-inning bulk reliever that can come in early and go multiple innings to finish a contest while preserving a lead.

What's next?

Auburn baseball is back in action on Wednesday night as they face Jacksonville State on the road. Auburn is sending LHP Konner Copeland to face off against RHP Jake Peppers for the Gamecocks. The contest, slated for a 6:00PM first pitch from Jim Case Stadium in Jacksonville, can be viewed on ESPN+. The radio call, with Brad Law and Voice of the Tigers Andy Burcham, can be heard locally on 95.9 FM and online at AuburnTigers.com 

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Published
Lindsay Crosby
LINDSAY CROSBY

Senior Writer, covering Auburn Tigers baseball Also: Host of Locked on MLB Prospects (on twitter at @LockedOnFarm), Managing Editor of @Braves_Today, member of the National College Baseball Writers Association and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America

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