Takeaways from Auburn baseball's series-sealing loss to Florida

Florida scored a whole lot of runs late to run away with the series finale

Author:
Lindsay Crosby
Publish date:
Apr 2, 2023 5:12 PM EDT

The Florida Gators scored fourteen unanswered runs late to come back and run away with a 17-8 victory to seal the series victory against Auburn. Here's what you need to know about the contest.

Once again, it's the freebies causing a big inning

Auburn pitchers walked thirteen batters and put three more on via HBP - sixteen free baserunners is too many against a non-conference foe, nevermind one of the best offenses in the country in Florida.

After six innings, Auburn and Florida were tied at eight despite Auburn allowing only FOUR hits - those free baserunners came around to score in the 1st (two walks), 5th (walk, HBP, and walk), and 8th (two walks).

Florida didn't really start to make consistent contact until the 7th (four runs on five hits) and 8th (five runs on three hits, including a grand slam) innings, making a tie ballgame after six innings into a 17-8 blowout. The Gators had the final 14 runs of the game, all unanswered, after initially getting down 8-3.

Auburn's hurting for bullpen depth

A downside of Auburn's rotation shakeup - they installed closer Will Cannon as Friday's starter and key reliever John Armstrong as Saturday's in response to losing starter Joseph Gonzalez - means everyone has to take new roles in the bullpen. And if someone is ineffective, or hurt, it can endanger the gameplan for the end of the game.

And Auburn had both happen on Sunday afternoon in Gainesville.

Auburn called on Chase Allsup with two outs in the 5th to get out of a jam - Tommy Vail walked and hit a batter to leave two on in the inning, but Allsup couldn't seal the deal. The power sophomore from Dothan couldn't find the zone, allowing a single and three walks that scored three runs before being lifted for Chase Isbell, who got a strikeout to end the inning.

(Vail's final line: 4.2 IP, 2H, 5R (4 earned) with five walks and six strikeouts on 92 pitches (55 strikes.)

And then, Chase Isbell got hurt. With one out and a runner on 2nd in the 6th, Isbell threw a 1-1 breaking ball down and away to SS John Rivera and was grabbing his left side before he even finished his follow-through. Losing Isbell mid-AB with what appeared to be an oblique injury, Auburn had to turn to last Tuesday's hero Drew Nelson, who pitched a 7-inning run-rule-aided complete game against North Alabama.

But the freshman wasn't warm, and he walked three straight batters (scoring two runs) before finally finding the zone and getting a flyball and strikeout to end the 6th. Konner Copeland and Hayden Murphy came in to pitch the final 1.2 innings, but the pair allowed seven runs on seven hits, including a grand slam in the eighth by catcher Luke Heyman off of the freshman Murphy to break the game open and threaten to end what was a tie ballgame in a run-rule victory.

Nelson officially took the loss, going 1 IP with 1H, 3R (all earned) and 3BBs to 1K on 29 pitches (14 strikes).

Bryson Ware continues to RAKE

I've already eaten crow on this, but I'll do again.

This is the year of Bryson Ware.

Ware hit his team-leading 14th homerun of the season, this one off of an elevated fastball in the fifth, to stake Auburn to an 8-3 lead. Much has been written about the swing changes and improved batter's eye of Ware early in the season, but the improvements have stuck so far in conference play and he's becoming an attractive candidate for this summer's MLB Draft.

Joining him in the home run column was slugger Cooper McMurray, finally healthy after missing multiple weeks with an ankle injury, and second baseman Caden Green. Both Bobby Pierce and Ike Irish finished with multiple hits, both going 2-5 in the contest with two runs scores and one RBI between the pair.

What's next?

Auburn's got midweek action this Tuesday against UAB in Birmingham. First pitch is scheduled for 6PM at Regions Field. There is no broadcast information listed, but the radio call with Brad Law and Andy Burcham will be available locally on 93.9FM, online at AuburnTigers.com, and on the Auburn Athletics app.

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