March 23, 2007
AUBURN, Ala. -
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The No. 21 Auburn baseball team rallied from a three-run deficit but could not get the go-ahead run home as it fell to Florida, 8-7, in 10 innings on Friday night at Plainsman Park.
Senior Chris Dennis (1-2) took the loss for Auburn, allowing a run on a hit and two walks in the 10th-inning.
"Our kids played their tails off all night long and played well defensively. We gave the Gators some walks and hit-by-pitches and those things score and always come back to get yout," AU Head Coach Tom Slater said. "Their offense feasts on freebies and that's how they won tonight."
Florida, which rapped out 11 hits and drew six walks, scored the winning run with two down in the top of the 10th on Cole Figueroa's RBI single through the right side of the infield that scored Matt den Dekker, who led off the inning with a walk.
Auburn, which had 10 hits on the evening and drew five walks, took a 3-0 lead in the first on a Luke Greinke (1-for-5, R) RBI single and Dustin Spruill's (2-for-5) first career home run, a two-run shot to the flags in right-center, only to see Florida get two back in the top of the third.
Auburn upped its lead to 4-2 in the third on Josh Donaldson's (1-for-5) RBI double, giving him 34 runs batted in this year.
Florida answered right back, crossing the plate five times in the next half-inning on two singles, two doubles a walk and a hit-batsman to take a 7-4 lead after three-and-half.
As it has been doing all season long, Auburn rallied with three in the bottom of the sixth, capitalizing on two walks, two singles and a double to knot the score at 7-7.
Auburn's Johnny Thompson and Brett Butts combined to pitch 5.2 innings and allowed a run on four hits and two walks, striking out three.
Patrick Keating (2-1) earned the win with two perfect innings, striking out four.
The loss dropped Auburn to 18-7, 0-4 in the Southeastern Conference while Florida improved to 12-13, 2-2 SEC.
The two teams return to the field for a 2pm CT contest on Saturday. The game can be seen live on CSS and Sun Sports.
GAME NOTES
Donaldson extended his hitting streak to a personal-best 12 games with a double in the third ... Bruce Edwards had three stolen bases in the game and now has 43 for his career, putting him into a tie with Chris Christopher (1991-93) and Rock Wilson (1984-87) for 10th on Auburn career stolen bases list ... The three steals in a game also tied a school record ... He is the eighth Tiger to steal three bases in a game.