AUBURN, Ala. -- All-America hurlerTanner Burns fanned 10 through seven shutout innings and No. 17 Auburn backed him with a four-run third, leading the Tigers to a 6-0 win over UTSA baseball, in the opener of a three-game series, on Friday night at Plainsman Park.
UTSA (7-7) and Auburn (12-2) battled in a traditional Southeastern Conference Friday night pitching duel in the early innings, with the Tigers using a four-run third – featuring three unearned runs – in a series-opening win.
UTSA senior starter Karan Patel (0-3) worked 6.2 strong innings, allowing six hits and four runs – one earned – issuing one walk and striking out seven.
A two-out walk in the seventh ended Patel's outing in favor of Zach Griggs, who stranded the runner. Clayton Hill worked the two outs into the eighth, allowing a pair of runs on three walks and a twof hits, before Ben Ostrominski entered to clean up the frame, stranding one runner.
A unanimous Freshman All-America selection in 2018, Burns (3-0) spun a gem, tossing seven innings with four hits allowed, walking one and striking out 10 over 99 pitches. He lowered his ERA to 0.68 and has allowed just 11 hits and four walks over 39 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. He has worked 16 consecutive shutout innings.
Auburn turned to lefty Elliot Anderson in relief of Burns in the eighth. Anderson retired all six he faced in two shutout innings.
The Roadrunners collected four hits in the game, including a first-inning double from Dylan Rock, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Jonathan Tapia stretched his reached base streak to 14 with a 1-for-4 game, with Taylor Barber and Bryan Sturges each charting singles.
The series will now conclude with a doubleheader, slated to begin on Saturday at Plainsman Park at 2 p.m. with a broadcast of audio available on AuburnTigers.com.
The Tigers struck first in the third, getting a leadoff single down the leftfield line from Judd Ward, who motored to third on a high-chopping single through the left side of the infield from Matt Scheffler. Steven Williams then hung a fly into short leftfield, with the ball skidding out of the glove of a charging Stacy, with Ward scooting home for the lead. Rankin Wooley then smacked a two-run single up the middle to plate Scheffler and Williams for a 3-0 lead. Ryan Bliss then hung a sac fly to rightfield, allowing Edoard Julian – who was hit by a one-out pitch – to come home to score.
Auburn plated a run in the ninth on two hits and three walks against Hill, before scoring a sixth run in the game on a balk.
- UTSA -
