AUBURN, Ala. – Longwood sophomore Nate Blakeney put together a multi-hit game at SEC foe Auburn, but the Tigers took the second game of the series, 25-1, Saturday at Plainsman Park.
 
In his first career start, Lancer junior right-hander Cody Boydstun (0-1) was hit with the loss, falling victim to an awakened Auburn offense that scored nine runs in the first two innings. Boydstun, who made the first 42 appearances of his career out of Longwood's bullpen, finished with a pair of strikeouts while allowing Auburn eight hits in his 2.0 innings of work.

"Today was a rough one," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "We didn't get the start we needed from Boydstun, and it went downhill from there. The bullpen struggled mightily with command and when you give away that many free passes, you don't give yourself a chance."
 
Longwood played error-free defense for the second straight day but could not overcome 13 walks, which allowed Auburn (2-0) to turn its 22 hits into 25 runs. They jumped out early with five runs in the first inning, three of which came on an two-out home run by catcher Steven Williams.

Williams, a 35th-round draft pick by the New York Yankees in the 2017 MLB Draft, went 4-for-4 with seven RBI to spark the awakening of Auburn's bats after the Tigers nickeled and dimed Longwood Longwood in a 6-0 win Friday on opening day. 
 
"Offensively we were overmatched, and were unable to put solid swings on the baseball," Mau said. "We have to learn from today and quickly get focused for tomorrow. We have to dig down and find a way to salvage a game against a very tough SEC opponent."

Blakeney, slotted into the cleanup spot for the second straight game Saturday, led Longwood at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI single. Longwood's 6-0, 210-pound third baseman reached three times, also being hit by a pitch, but he and backup catcher Nathan Iskowitz were the only Lancers to record hits against an Auburn pitching staff that used seven pitchers to hold Longwood to three hits on the day.
 
Several Lancers made their collegiate debuts Saturday as Todd Moxey, Daniel Brandon, Maceo Campbell, and Tyler Knapp each made appearances out of the bullpen. Jake Jansen entered the game in the outfield as a defensive replacement.
 
Knapp was a bright spot out of the bullpen in his debut as the freshman put together a scoreless eighth inning, working around one hit and one walk in the frame.
 
The series wraps up with a 2 p.m. first pitch Sunday at Plainsman Park. Auburn will send out righty Tanner Burns, while the Lancers will send out senior left-hander Michael Catlin.
 
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