June 16, 2019

By George Nunnelley

Auburn Athletics

Auburn drops College World Series opener

OMAHA, Neb. - Auburn came within one out of its first opening round College World Series win since 1967 before losing to Mississippi State, 5-4, at TD Ameritrade Park Sunday.

The Bulldogs (52-13) scored four runs in the ninth to remain in the winner’s bracket. The Tigers (38-27) will be the home team against Louisville Tuesday at 1 p.m. CT in an elimination game.

“We had a chance to win the baseball game, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “Just one play away tonight.”

Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) smashed a tape-measure home run and drove in three runs to pace the Auburn offense.

Mississippi State starter Ethan Small struck out the first five batters he faced before Rankin Woley’s infield single in the second.

Julien followed with a monstrous blast that traveled 429 feet, nearly reaching the concourse in right to give Auburn a 2-0 lead. Julien’s homer tied Florida’s Pete Alonso (2015) for the longest home run in the nine years TD Ameritrade Park has hosted the CWS.

“He turned on that ball, and he hit it a ton,” Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis said. “He’s one of the best hitters in the country.”

Julien delivered again in the fourth inning on another two-strike count to extend the lead to 3-0, singling up the middle to score Steven Williams, who walked.

Mississippi State loaded the bases in bottom of the fifth with two outs, but Auburn starter Jack Owen got a pop-up to Woley at first to end the inning.

Owen pitched five scoreless innings before giving way to Elliott Anderson after allowing the first two batters to reach in the sixth.

The Bulldogs then got on the board in the sixth on Gunner Halter’s one-out single to right, cutting Auburn’s lead to 3-1 and bringing Cody Greenhill in to relieve Anderson. Greenhill escaped the jam with a strikeout and fly to right.

Richard Fitts relieved Greenhill after State’s first two batters reached in the seventh, recording a 6-4-3 double play on his first pitch. Fitts then induced a grounder to second baseman Ryan Bliss to end the inning.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the eighth. With two outs, Will Holland was hit by a pitch, then scored all the way from first on Steven Williams’ single to right-center and a throwing error on the Bulldogs’ second baseman that put Auburn up 4-1.

Bliss made back-to-back fielding plays on sharply hit grounders to record the first two outs in the eighth, with fellow freshman Fitts getting a fly to right for a 1-2-3 inning.

Fitts pitched two perfect innings before a leadoff double in the ninth brought in Tanner Burns for his first career relief appearance.

Burns struck out Jordan Westburg, but then State rallied thanks to a walk, an RBI double and an RBI groundout.

With Auburn leading 4-3 with two outs, Dustin Skelton grounded to third, where Julien took a couple steps before overthrowing Woley at first, allowing the tying run to score from second.

Mississippi State then earned the walk-off win when Marshall Gilbert singled up the middle to score Skelton.

Burns (4-4) took the loss, allowing one earned run and two unearned runs. Cole Gordon (5-0) earned the win.

“We’ve been through a ton, if you’ve watched our ball club,” Thompson said. “This team’s really grown a lot. We’ve changed, and we’re better. I don’t think much shocks us. We’ll be back.”