March 13, 2007
AUBURN, Ala. -
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No. 30 VMI scored three runs in the eighth and two in the ninth and Keydet pitchers Corey Bachman and Kevin Crum held the Tigers without a hit for the final 3.2 innings as No. 10 Auburn fell to VMI, 7-3, on Tuesday night to snap Auburn's six-game winning streak.
"I was very impressed with the VMI bullpen and their shortstop, Chad Rice, made some really nice plays," AU Head Coach Tom Slater said. "They beat up our bullpen, which hadn't happened all year."
Auburn scored a pair of unearned runs in the second on a throwing error by the VMI catcher and a RBI single by Ross Smith (1-for-4, RBI) to take an early 2-0 lead and rode the success of starter Taylor Thompson for the next five innings. The freshman was cruising in the start, allowing just two hits and striking out seven before having his evening spoiled in the sixth when Eddie Van Es hit a two-run home run to knot the game at 2-2.
"Taylor was very good in a Tuesday start once again. He deserved a win on a night like this but we didn't do enough offensively to help him," Slater said.
Auburn (17-3) recaptured the lead in the bottom of the sixth on an Andy Bennett (0-for-3, R, RBI) sac-fly to center only to see VMI score three runs in the top of the eighth off of reliever Justin Bristow. The Keydets (13-3) tacked on two more off of Luke Greinke in the ninth and Crum nailed down his 10th save of the year with 2.0 innings of shutout ball.
Bristow (1-1) suffered the loss to fall to 1-1, allowing three runs on four hits in 2.0 innings.
Bachman (3-0) took the win, allowing just a walk in 1.2 innings.
The two teams will play again on Wednesday at 3pm CT. The game was originally scheduled for a 6pm first pitch but was moved up due to forecasted rain.
GAME NOTES
The Tigers stole four bases in the game, giving them nine in the last two games ... Josh Donaldson went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to seven games ... Auburn's four hits were its fewest of the season ... The Tiger pitching staff had 11 strikeouts on the evening, its seventh double-digit strikeout game of the year ... Auburn has dropped its last three games to the Keydets.