Alabama
20-7, 0
Auburn
20-5, 0
Baseball Thumps No. 5 Auburn 11-1 in Eight-Inning Win
3/27/2026 11:30:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide extended its in-conference winning streak to four consecutive games
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball (20-7, 4-3 SEC) orchestrated a team-wide effort, as the Crimson Tide opened its series against No. 5 Auburn (20-5, 4-3 SEC) with an 11-1 win on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The game was made official after eight innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.
The Tide totaled 15 hits in the victory, led by Bryce Fowler, who finished 3-for-5 with a solo home run and three runs scored. Luke Vaughn put the Tide ahead in the 2nd, as his two-run homer in the inning gave Alabama a permanent lead after the Tigers plated a run in the opening frame. Vaughn finished 2-or-4 with a double, a home run, three RBI and a run scored. John Lemm also homered, clubbing a two-run blast in the 7th as part of his 2-for-4 evening. Lemm also tallied a walk and a run scored and provided the walk-off RBI single in the 8th. Jason Torres was 2-for-5 with three RBI while scoring a run, while Brady Neal was responsible for an RBI, closing his night with a double to encompass his 2-for-5 line.
Tyler Fay (5-2) was outstanding yet again, earning his fifth win in seven starts this season. Fay surrendered a two-out RBI double in his first inning of work but proceeded to post four consecutive scoreless innings the remainder of his outing. One week after recording the ninth no-hitter in Alabama history, Fay allowed just one hit on Friday and was responsible for just only one earned run to go with three walks, one hit batter and five strikeouts. Matthew Heiberger was also effective out of the bullpen, notching 2.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. The southpaw stranded a hit and two walks, adding two strikeouts. Sam Mitchell tossed what turned out to be the final inning on the mound for the Tide, working around a hit while striking out two in a scoreless inning. The Alabama staff limited Auburn to only three hits,
From Head Coach Rob Vaughn
"A great night. That was an SEC Friday game there for about five innings. Both pitchers going toe-to-toe. (Auburn) had a leadoff the walk in the first come around to score on a big two-out hit, and then they make the error there in the second. Luke (Vaughn), he comes up and gets a breaking ball and runs it out of the yard. So, it was just kind of a tale who was going to flinch. And for a long time that was just a tight one. And then I thought Jason Torres' at-bat there, that was really the backbreaker, him being able to stay over that. They had every ounce of momentum. I know we have second and third, but they get the big punchout. They get him to the 0-2 count, chasing the slider and man, he spoiled pitches, spoiled pitches, got the hanger and hammered it back up the middle to score two. I thought that was really the backbreaker. Really proud of the way we threw the ball. Holding that offense and those hitters to, I think, three hits was a feat. We just made big pitches in big spots. Tyler (Fay) today was outstanding again. His misses, even his misses were down. And you guys hear me talk about that a lot, when he's down, he's just tough to square up. Matt Heiberger came in, and I thought he had a huge one, that 1-6-3 double play to get us out of, I think it was the sixth or seventh, just a big pitch. Sam Mitchell, same thing, did his job. Just a relentless offensive effort, those guys, that was my message, (Auburn) won't go away. I've watched them enough and they ain't going to go away. They ain't going away this weekend either. We're going to get a punch from them tomorrow. They're not accidentally ranked in the top five in the country, and that's a really good team, and we got the best of them tonight, but it's a long week ahead. I told our boys, go enjoy it and lock them and then we go to eat dinner, we move on, but we've got a big one coming at seven o'clock tomorrow night."
How It Happened
- T1 | The Tigers were the first to plate a run after a leadoff walk came around to score following a two-out double down the left field line. (1-0, Auburn)
- B2 | With one out, Will Plattner reached base as the result of an error at second. With two outs, Luke Vaughn launched a go-ahead, two-run home run to left. (2-1, Alabama)
- B5 | Bryce Fowler led off the inning with a solo homer to right. (3-1, Alabama)
- B6 | With two outs, Justin Osterhouse lined a single to left before the next batter Vaughn doubled to left-center, allowing the speedy Osterhouse to score from first. (4-1, Alabama)
- B7 | Fowler opened the inning with a hard single through the right side, later reaching third after Justin Lebron doubled to left-center. With one out, Jason Torres singled to right-center, plating both Fowler and Lebron. The next batter, John Lemm connected on a two-run home run over the visitor's bullpen in right field. (8-1, Alabama)
- B8 | Brennan Holt and Fowler both singled with one down before Neal, Torres and Lemm all provided consecutive RBI knocks to score three runs and end the ballgame. (11-1, Alabama)
Postgame Notes
- Alabama's 11 runs were the most runs scored by an opposing team against Auburn so far this season
- The Tigers managed only three hits on Friday, the fewest produced by Auburn in a single game in 2026
- Luke Vaughn's three RBI match his career high set twice previously this spring
- Vaughn also elevated his team-high on-base streak to 23 games
- John Lemm's three RBI also tie his career high, most recently accomplished at then-No. 21 Kentucky on March 13
- Bryce Fowler extended his on-base streak to 21 games and now has at least one hit in nine consecutive games
- Fowler is hitting .411 (17-for-39) with three doubles, eight RBI, seven walks, five stolen bases and 11 runs scored over the course of his nine-game hitting streak
- Brennan Holt finished 1-for-3 and now owns a five-game hitting streak
- Holt is batting .429 (6-for-14) with two doubles, three RBI, six walks, three stolen bases and eight runs scored since the streak began
- Brady Neal also extended his on-base streak to 18 consecutive games
- Justin Osterhouse stretched his on-base streak to 15 games
- Justin Lebron has now reached base in seven consecutive games
- Attendance: 4,682
Up Next
- Alabama will continue its series with No. 5 Auburn on Saturday, March 28
- First pitch between the Crimson Tide and Tigers is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT, airing on SEC Network
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fay, Tyler (5-2)
L: Marciano, Jake (3-1)
Batting:
2B: Guevara, Eric 1
RBI: Guevara, Eric 1
SH: Carter, Bristol 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Carter, Bristol 1
SB: Carter, Bristol 1
HBP: Belyeu, Cade 1
Batting:
2B: Lebron, Justin 1 ; Neal, Brady 1 ; Vaughn, Luke 1
HR: Fowler, Bryce 1 ; Lemm, John 1 ; Vaughn, Luke 1
RBI: Fowler, Bryce 1 ; Neal, Brady 1 ; Torres, Jason 3 ; Lemm, John 3 ; Vaughn, Luke 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Fowler, Bryce 3 ; Lebron, Justin 1 ; Neal, Brady 1 ; Torres, Jason 1 ; Lemm, John 1 ; Plattner, Will 1 ; Osterhouse, Justin 1 ; Vaughn, Luke 1 ; Holt, Brennan 1
