AUBURN, Ala. – John Armstrong retired 10 straight batters and Cade Belyeu made a highlight-reel catch but Ole Miss scored the go-ahead run in the ninth without a hit to defeat Auburn 5-4 Saturday at Plainsman Park.
The visitors loaded the bases with three walks in the ninth, breaking the tie on Andrew Fischer’s sacrifice fly.
Auburn’s Carter Wright drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth, reaching for the fourth time in the game, but a strikeout ended the contest.
“I felt like we shot for the pin a little bit,” Thompson said of Auburn’s four ninth-inning walks. “The sac fly was the difference tonight. We finished with four hits. Too many times being on the wrong side of that or not having that last punch has been the story of the journey.”
Auburn (21-24, 3-20) claimed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Caleb Freeman’s two-out double scored Ike Irish and Belyeu.
Ole Miss (25-21, 9-14) scored an unearned run in the top of the second and tied the score at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly in the third.
The Tigers regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Eric Guevara’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly that scored Freeman.
After a pitching change, Chris Stanfield greeted Ole Miss reliever Josh Mallitz with a comebacker off the leg for an infield single to the plate Caden Green for a 4-2 Auburn lead.
The Rebels evened the score in the top of the fifth on Fischer’s two-run home run.
Auburn starter Tanner Bauman pitched 4.2 innings, striking out four while allowing three earned runs. Armstrong relieved Bauman with two outs in the fifth and recorded a strikeout to strand two runners.
The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the fifth by putting runners on second and third with no outs after a walk, a hit batter and a throwing error, but a pair of strikeouts and a flyout ended the inning.
Armstrong was tagged with the loss despite matching a career high with six strikeouts and allowing only a single and a pair of walks in 3.2 innings.
Belyeu preserved the 4-4 tie with a leaping catch at the top of the wall in right field for the final out of the eighth inning.
“That kept the game right there tied up for us and gave us another chance,” Thompson said. “He’s such a good athlete. Every one of these experiences of going back and making a play like that, getting a big hit or stealing a base is going to add to it and allow him to be a greater player sooner.”
After allowing a single to the first batter he faced, Armstrong set down the next 10 Rebels until a leadoff walk in the ninth.
Parker Carlson entered with one out and two on in the ninth, walking two and recording the final two outs.
Ole Miss reliever Wes Mendes earned the victory, holding Auburn hitless over the final three innings while allowing only one walk.
Carson Myers will start Sunday’s series finale at 3 pm CT at Hitchcock Field for Auburn.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
