AUBURN, Ala. – Alabama A&M (0-1, 0-0 SWAC) put up a pair of runs in the first inning but it would be all No. 17 Auburn (4-0, 0-0 SEC) from there as the Bulldogs dropped an 18-2 decision in an NCAA Division I baseball game on Tuesday, February 23.
A&M would get on the board quickly as senior shortstop
Pierre Brewton (Madison, Ala.) singled with one out and then scored on a 1-1 pitch that sophomore catcher
Dillon Roop (New Market, Ala.) laced down the left field line for a 1-0 lead. They would make it a two-run margin on the next play as sophomore third baseman
Trevor Berkemeyer (North Las Vegas, Nev.) reached on an error on a ball to short that allowed Roop to come home.
After getting out of the inning with a strikeout, the Tigers would pound seven hits, including a pair of homers by Judd Ward and Bryson Ware, on their way to 10 runs in the inning. They would add three more runs in the second as Josh Hall delivered a two-run double to highlight the effort and make it 13-2.
The Bulldogs held AU scoreless in the third but would allow three more runs in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth to reach what would be the final margin of 18-2.
Roop produced A&M's lone RBI as part of a 1-for-3 day that included a run scored and double while Brewton and freshman designated hitter
Malik Frails both went 1-for-3 with the former adding a run scored. Sophomore pitcher
Yavier Febus (Orlando, Fla.) started and took the loss for the Bulldogs to drop to 0-1 while junior pitcher
Josue Torres (Cidra, Puerto Rico) pitched the lion's share of the innings at 2.2 with two runs allowed.
For Auburn, Hall went 3-for-4 with a triple, three RBIs and three runs scored while Cam Hill was 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Ward and Ware each put one over the fence and had a pair of RBIs and Brayton Brown added a homer in two at bats. Trace Bright got the start for the Tigers, throwing four innings and delivering seven strikeouts against two earned runs to move to 1-0 on the year.
The Bulldogs and Tigers match up one more time tomorrow as they take the field at 4 p.m. in Auburn, Alabama.
