AUBURN, Ala. – Alabama baseball battled back late at Auburn but was unable to complete the comeback in a 12-11 loss to the Tigers. Following the Friday matchup, the 24^th-ranked Crimson Tide sits at 32-21 overall and 12-17 in Southeastern Conference play.

Alabama scored one apiece in the first and fourth innings, but the Tigers were able to take the lead with a six-run fourth followed by a six-run fifth to make it a 12-2 affair. In the seventh, the Crimson Tide was down to its final out before an AU error kept the game alive. That error proved costly, opening the door for a late comeback attempt by Alabama.

The Tide plated four in the seventh and added four more in the eighth to make it a two-run ballgame entering the ninth. In the ninth, Alabama was able to score one and had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, but a strikeout ended things at 12-11.

Chase Allsup (4-3) picked up the win for Auburn while Hayden Murphy got the save with a one-run ninth. The loss went to Zane Adams (4-5).

From Head Coach Rob Vaughn

"We were a strike away from getting run-ruled in the seventh, but we fought back to where we had the winning run on second with two outs in the ninth. The fight was great, but the bottom line was that we could not get off the field in those middle innings. When you give up back-to-back six spots, you don't deserve to win. Now we have to regroup and play like us when we get out here and get after it tomorrow."

How It Happened

• T1 | Ian Petrutz got aboard with a one-out single and moved to second on a wild pitch. William Hamiter then brought Petrutz home on a two-out RBI-double to left. (1-0, Alabama)
• T4 | A leadoff walk to Mac Guscette followed by a TJ McCants double put a man at third for Max Grant, who hit into a 4-3 groundout that plated one to widen the gap. (2-0, Alabama)
• B4 | Five hits and three free passes led to six runs for the Tigers. (6-2, Auburn)
• B5 | The Tigers added six more on four hits, including a three-run homer by Cooper McMurray and a solo shot by Cade Belyeu. (12-2, Auburn)
• T7 | Alabama's inning was kept alive with a two-out error by the Tigers, A single in the next at-bat from Justin Lebron followed by a Hamiter double added a pair. Following an AU pitching change, Kade Snell homered to left-center. (12-6, Auburn)
• T8 | Back-to-back singles from Grant and Gage Miller to go with a hit-by-pitch for Petrutz loaded them up. Another hit-by-pitch, this one to Lebron, pushed a run across. After another call to the pen, a wild pitch moved everyone up 90 feet, scoring one. In that same at-bat, Hamiter added a run with a sacrifice fly. After a walk put runners on the corners, a single from Guscette plated one more. (12-10, Auburn)
• T9 | Miller led off with a double and came home one out later on a single from Hamiter. (12-11, Auburn)

Postgame Notes

• Tonight's game was delayed by an hour due to weather.
• Zane Adams matched his season-high total for strikeouts with six in outing. Adams also had six against LSU in last weekend's start.
• The Tide finished with 11 runs and has posted double-digit runs in 19 games on the year.
• Alabama recorded double-digit hits for the 33^rd time this season, including 16 SEC contests.
• Eight of the nine starters for UA recorded a hit.
• William Hamiter extended his hitting streak to eight games. Over that stretch, the graduate is hitting .484 (15-31) with three doubles, a triple, two homers, 13 RBI, five runs scored and six walks.
• Hamiter finished with a career-high five RBI. His previous best was four, which he accomplished twice, most recently against Arkansas on May 21, 2022.
• Justin Lebron extended his on-base streak to 17 games.

Alabama and Auburn will close out the regular season on Saturday evening. The Crimson Tide is set to send junior right-hander Ben Hess to the mound while the Tigers' starter is still to be announced. Game three of the series is scheduled for a 5 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network.

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