Box Score

AUBURN, Ala. – A pair of freshmen had memorable debuts for the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team in an 17-6 loss at No. 15 Auburn University to open the 2024 season.
 
The Colonels fell behind 4-0 in the first inning.  Chris Stanfield capped the quick start for the Tigers with a 3-run home run over the wall in left center. 
 
EKU came right back in the top of the second.  Freshman catcher Silas Shaffer led off the inning with his first collegiate hit, a double to right center.  Fellow freshman Tait Nunnally followed with a home run over the wall in right field for his first collegiate hit.  Two batters later, senior Max Williams sent a solo shot over the wall in right to make it a 4-3 game.
 
Shaffer finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.  Nunnally was 1-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
 
Auburn (1-0) pulled away with three in the bottom half of the second.  Ike Irish drove in two with a single up the middle that made it 7-3.
 
The Colonels (0-1) platted two in the top of the fifth to get within three, 8-5.  The Tigers put three on the board in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to 11-5.  DJ Sullivan's single up the middle in the seventh brought home Santiago Peralta for EKU and made it 13-6.
 
Peralta had a pair of hits in three at bats and scored twice.
 
Auburn's four runs in the bottom of the seventh ended the game by run rule.
 
Irish had a 4-for-5 game with three runs and four RBIs for the Tigers.  Stanfield drove in four, scored twice and walked three times.
 
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET and will air live on the SEC Network+.