Weather Delay Sees Auburn Baseball Down Big in First NCAA Tournament Game

The Horizon League champion, Milwaukee, jumped on Auburn and ace Jake Marciano to have the Tigers playing from behind for the remainder of the game.

Auburn baseball is down big in its first game of its NCAA Regional as a weather delay has stopped the game in the sixth. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A lightning delay at Plainsman Park has stopped the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Milwaukee Panthers, and head coach Butch Thompson needed it for his group. 

In its own regional, Auburn is down 11-5 to Milwaukee entering the bottom of the sixth inning. The Panthers scored six runs in the first two innings to put the Tigers on the back foot, and they didn’t stop there. 

Ace Jake Marciano was on the bump for Thompson today, and he delivered a lackluster start compared to what he’s used to. Friday afternoon was the most earned runs that he allowed in an Auburn uniform, allowing six while allowing eight Milwaukee hits. He was pulled in the second inning before recording an out in the inning. 

Milwaukee has used two three-run home runs to grow a lead that’s been as much as 10 in the fourth inning. In the first inning, Braydn Horn started the long ball party for the Panthers with a jack into left field, going up 4-0 on Marciano in the first inning. 

Three innings later, Charlie Marion sent one into center field for another trio of runs. After that home run, Auburn was down double-digits and lacking a response. It only recorded one hit in the first three innings while the Panthers were blowing the game open. 

TEN TO NOTHING MILWAUKEEEEEEE

The 25-31 Milwaukee Brewers take a 10-0 lead over Auburn pic.twitter.com/XKYOWlru1H

— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 29, 2026

Momentum has shifted to the home team since then, however, being up to bat as well when the delay is over, and lightning leaves the area. In the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, Auburn plated five runs of its own to cut the lead in half. 

Ethin Bingaman got the Tigers on the board with a three-run shot to left field, opening the door for more runs over the course of the game. An inning later, Taylor Belza scored from third in a fielder’s choice. A batter later, Chase Fralick mashed his 15th home run of the year into right field. 

Keep battling. ⚒️

Fralick's 15th draws us closer. pic.twitter.com/UZqqqQUXLD

— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) May 29, 2026

The largest comeback of an NCAA regional was back in 2022, which belongs to LSU following being down seven runs against Kennesaw State. Auburn has the chance to do that, and especially against a Milwaukee pitching staff that allows an ERA of 7.99, the Tigers will have fans from Plainsman Park remaining with them until the final out. 

After the delay is over, Bub Terrell, Bingaman and Cade Belyeu will look to keep the dream alive for Auburn. 

As we’ve seen before in these regional rounds, if you lost the first game, the uphill battle for the remainder of the weekend is steep. Auburn will look to flip the script in the final 12 outs that it has on offense to change that narrative.