Roundup: Tigers baseball, softball pitchers shelled in series-sweeping defeats Sunday

Auburn pitcher Justin Camp, pictured against Indiana State on Feb. 24, allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks in two innings in Sunday’s loss to Vanderbilt. (Credit: Lauren Barnard/Auburn Athletics)

AUBURN — The Tigers dug themselves against No. 2 Vanderbilt and could never dig their way out, losing 8-6 Sunday afternoon at Plainsman Park to drop all three games of the weekend series. The Commodores (19-2, 3-0 SEC) jumped out to a 7-1 lead after the top of the fourth

Auburn starter Rocky McCord (2-1) allowed four runs on four hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings and reliever Justin Camp was tagged for three runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks in two innings. Vanderbilt put the leadoff man on in each of the first three innings.

“We talked about getting out of the gates; we have done a very good job of that so far this year. Unfortunately today that kind of set the table,” Auburn coach John Pawlowski said. “I was encouraged by the way we settled in and gave our team a chance to come back. The pitchers came in and settled it down.”

Terrance Dedrick and Conner Kendrick combined for 5 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run on five hits and three walks for Auburn (13-6, 0-3 SEC).

Trailing 7-1, Auburn started a comeback with a two-run fourth. Garrett Cooper singled and scored on a Damek Tomscha double for the first run of the inning and then Tomscha scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-3.

Two innings later Auburn narrowed the gap as Jackson Burgreen singled in Patrick Savage and Blake Austin to make it 7-5.

Vanderbilt would get a run back on a Rhett Wiseman RBI single in the eighth but Auburn countered with a Hunter Kelley pinch-hit, RBI double which made it 8-6.

Jared Miller earned the win out of the bullpen for Vanderbilt, allowing one run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. Brian Miller earned his seventh save of the season and third of the weekend.

Auburn returns to the field at 6pm on Tuesday night when it plays host to Alabama State at Plainsman Park.

Harper, Davis knocked around in loss

Marcy Harper allowed five earned runs on seven hits with one strikeout in three and 2/3 innings in relief of Lexi Davis who surrendered four runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout in three 1/3 innings as Auburn lost to No. 25 Georgia, 9-8, on Sunday.

Geri Ann Glasco pitched six innings, allowing four runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts for the Bulldogs (21-7, 3-0 SEC), who swept the weekend series.

“It was a typical Sunday in the SEC,” Auburn coach Tina Deese said. “Both teams just kept coming back and responding. I’m really proud of the fight from our team. Georgia was able to get the outs when they needed it. We can’t hang our heads over this, we have a really good Florida State team coming in and we have to get ourselves ready for that.”

Auburn (20-10, 1-5 SEC) hosts Florida State Tuesday at 5 p.m.