Tigers End Streak; Down Ole Miss Thursday

Keegan Thompson allowed two walks and zero hits in six innings of work on Thursday against Ole Miss

(Photo: Auburn Athletics/Dakota Sumpter)

#23 Auburn Baseball (33-21, 15-13 SEC) opened the final series of the season on Thursday looking to snap a seven-game skid dating back to May 6. In a game that was dominated by solid pitching, mixed with timely hitting, and even a little electricity, the Tigers were able to snap the streak, defeating Ole Miss (31-23, 13-15 SEC) 4-1.

One of Auburn’s brightest stars in the game was Keegan Thompson. In six innings of work, the junior struck out a season-high eight batters, walking two. His outing was cut short after a one-hour-and-fourteen-minute lightning delay just three pitches into the seventh inning. Keegan Thompson faced the minimum in four of the six innings he pitched, and faced only four Rebels in the fourth and sixth innings.

“Lightning was the only thing that could stop him tonight,” said Coach Butch Thompson of his starter following the game.

Keegan Thompson feels that Thursday’s outing was one of his best of the season.

“I tried to work ahead with the fastball, and the slider was working for me with two strikes,” says Keegan Thompson of his effectiveness on the mound Thursday night. “(Ole Miss batters) did not see it spin well I don’t think, and they were chasing balls in the dirt with two strikes to allow me to get the strikeouts.”

After the delay, Cole Lipscomb was called upon to finish the seventh inning, sitting down the side in order.

The combined no-hit bid was broken up in the top of the eighth inning, when leadoff batter Tim Rowe doubled to right center field. The following three batters were retired consecutively, minimizing the damage.

Momentum seemed to swing towards Ole Miss following the delay, as the Rebels attempted a comeback effort in the ninth inning. Tate Blackman and Will Golsan began the inning with two straight singles, with Blackman scoring on a sacrifice fly with zero outs by Colby Bortles. After allowing the run, Lipscomb struck out the final two batters to close the game.

Auburn got on the board early in the game, thanks to two Rebel errors on the scoring play. Sam Gillikin doubled to left field with two out in the second inning, and later scored when Luke Jarvis reached base on a error by Ole Miss third baseman Colby Bortles, who booted the ground ball. On the throw to the plate, short stop Grae Kessinger’s throw was wide, allowing Gillikin to score from second base easily.

Auburn scored three more runs in the fourth inning, two of which came off the bat of Daniel Robert. With one home already in the inning, and one out, Robert crushed the baseball into the visiting bullpen in right field, extending Auburn’s lead to 4-0. Jonah Todd recorded the first out of the inning after the first three batters reached. Todd grounded out to first base, but sent Luke Jarvis home on the play, setting up the two-run blast by Robert.

Keegan Thompson is now 6-4 on the season following the win, the loss was handed to James McArthur for Ole Miss. Keegan Thompson and Cole Lipscomb combined to strike out 12 batters in the game, only walking two.

Daniel Robert and Dylan Ingram each picked up two hits, with Todd and Robert responsible for three runs batted in.

#23 Auburn continues their series with Ole Miss on Friday, with a 6 P.M. first pitch at Plainsman Park.