Recap: Walk-off by Maners gives Auburn game one victory over Austin Peay

Auburn baseball’s final weekend series before the beginning of conference play started with many twists and turns against Austin Peay, but the Tigers managed to win the game late with two home runs, securing their 11th win of the year.

Despite the game being pushed to an earlier time, Auburn (11-2) saw it as a chance to have early success. The offense wasted no time getting to work as a result.

After Cooper Weiss hit a single to begin the bottom half of the 1st and advanced to second base on a balk, Cooper McMurray came up with two outs in the inning to hit an infield single that would score Weiss, giving the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.

The fun would continue in the 2nd inning, as two walks began the Auburn half, giving way to Javon Hernandez, who hit a single in order to load the bases up. Following that, Ike Irish drew a walk while Bobby Peirce got hit by a pitch to score in two more runs, extending the lead to three.

McMurray capped off the party by putting a single into right center, scoring both Irish and Hernandez. Auburn ended the 2nd with a 5-0 lead, but went cold starting in the 3rd, not gaining anymore offensive momentum until the 8th. That break was when the Governors decided to strike.

The 3rd inning saw Clayton Gray stroke a single of his own into right center, driving in two runs to get Austin Peay on the board. Jon Jon Gazdar then singled into left field in the 5th with the bases loaded, scoring two more.

In the 7th, Lyle Miller-Green completed the comeback for the Governors, hitting a home run to left center, tying the game at 5-5. Justin Olson later singled in the 8th, scoring in a run to give his team a 6-5 lead.

Christian Hall decided the party would stop right then, though, as with a 3-2 count in the bottom of the 8th with two outs, he sent a rocket over the right field wall to tie the game once again, giving the Tigers momentum.

Mason Maners took this momentum to heart and did not allow the game to head for extras. Leading off the bottom of the 9th, he sent a no-doubt home run into right field, winning the game for Auburn 7-6.

Tanner Bauman earned the win as the final pitcher of the day, going 1.1 innings, allowing no hits and no runs. He struck out one and walked one as well.

The walk-off win improves head coach Butch Thompson’s team to 11-2 on the year as Auburn prepares for games two and three of the series. First pitch for game two is set for 1 p.m. CST on Saturday.

WP: Bauman (2-0) LP: Hampu (1-1)

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Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire