Alabama Topples No. 5 Auburn for First Series Sweep Since 2017

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama secured a series sweep after defeating Auburn 3-1 in game three on Sunday. A two-run surge in the bottom of the eighth inning powered the Crimson Tide to victory, giving Alabama its first sweep over the Tigers since 2017.

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Just like in games one and two, the Tigers scored first in the top of the first inning with an RBI single from Auburn third baseman Eric Guevara. The hit drove home second baseman Chris Rembert, who had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning, giving Auburn a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the first.

Alabama tied the game a couple of innings later with a Justin Lebron RBI single, his first RBI of the weekend, which drove Brennan Holt home from third and evened the score at 1-1 going into the fourth inning.

The Crimson Tide’s starting pitcher for game three was Myles Upchurch, who pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one hit, one earned run, four walks, and recording four strikeouts. He was pulled in the top of the fifth after hitting a batter and walking another, putting runners on first and second with one out. Left-handed pitcher Ashton Crowther came out of the bullpen to relieve the freshman and recorded two outs, stranding Auburn’s runners at second and third.

Crowther pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two batters. Matthew Heiberger took over in the top of the eighth, pitching a clean inning without allowing a run or hit, though he hit two batters. Heiberger earned the win, improving his record to 2-0 on the season. In the ninth, Hagan Banks closed out the game, striking out two and retiring one batter to earn his fourth save of the season.

Alabama’s defense remained strong throughout the weekend, limiting Auburn to just 12 hits across the series. Auburn entered the weekend tied for fourth in the SEC with a .303 batting average, but finished the series hitting just .144. In contrast, Alabama posted a .306 average for the weekend.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Crimson Tide broke the tie for the first time since the third inning. Three walks and two wild pitches allowed Lebron to score the go-ahead run, putting Alabama up 2-1. Shortly after, team captain and designated hitter Will Plattner delivered an RBI single to center, driving home Brady Neal from third and extending Alabama’s lead to 3-1 heading into the final inning, with that ending up being the final score of the game. 

Alabama improves to 22-7 on the season and 6-3 in SEC play. The Tide returns to action next Tuesday, March 31, traveling to Jacksonville, Alabama, to take on Jacksonville State in a midweek matchup scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

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