March 3, 2007
AUBURN, Ala. -
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Josh Donaldson's two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth completed Auburn's comeback from and eight-run deficit as the No. 23 Tigers defeated No. 10 Arizona State, 11-8, on Saturday afternoon at Plainsman Park to even the three-game series at a game apiece.
"Arizona State had really been putting it to me. They threw me a couple of pitches around the plate there in the sixth and (Mike Leake) hung a breaking ball and I ended up hitting the ball solid," Donaldson said. "I was a little out front but I split it in half and was able to put some backspin on it and I was fortunate enough to put it out of the ballpark."
Trailing 8-0 after three-and-a-half innings, Auburn (12-2) started its comeback with a seven-run bottom of the fifth. Andy Bennett (2-for-4, R) started the charge with a single to center and scored Auburn's first run when Joseph Sanders (2-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) dropped in a double to center. Eric Skinner (0-for-4, R) then reached on a two-base error as Arizona State second baseman Eric Sogard went back to catch a popup and had the ball in his glove but rightfielder Ike David collided with Sogard, jarring the ball loose, putting men on second and third with just one down.
A Bruce Edwards (2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI) single scored Sanders and Skinner to make it 8-3 and then a single by Donaldson (2-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI) put runners on the corners with two down. After Mike Bianucci (0-for-3, BB, R) drew a walk to load the bases, designated hitter Ryan Stanley (1-for-4, R, 2 RBI) put one back up the middle, scoring Edwards and Donaldson and sending Bianucci to third. Bianucci and Stanley scored the final runs of the inning on Luke Greinke's (1-for-3, 2 RBI) single to left.
"What a great effort by our players," AU Head Coach Tom Slater said. "Up and down the lineup our kids play hard. They hung in there and battled and never gave in. We talked about it in the dugout and we just continued to play hard and get after it. When you do that, good things will happen, and today the team made that happen."
Edwards put a two-out single back up the middle and Robert Brooks (1-for-3, BB, R) was hit by the first pitch he saw in the sixth, setting up Donaldson's go-ahead homer in the sixth, his fifth four-bagger of the season.
Sanders led off the eighth inning with his first career home run for the final margin.
Brett Butts (1-0) picked up the win in relief, throwing 2.0 innings of shutout ball.
Scott Shuman worked a perfect ninth to earn his third save of the season.
Leake (3-1) took the loss in relief for the Sun Devils, allowing four runs on four hits in 3.0 innings.
Arizona State (12-4) had scored a run in the second, four in the third and three in the fourth off of Auburn starter Paul Burnside to hold the 8-0 advantage before Auburn's comeback.
The two teams will play the final game of the three-game series on Sunday at 1:30 pm CT. Sophomore Evan Crawford is scheduled to start for the Tigers while Arizona State has not named its starter yet.
GAME NOTES
The win was Auburn's sixth come-from-behind win of the season ... The last time Auburn overcame a deficit of eight or more runs was on Feb. 13, 2003, when AU trailed Virginia 10-1 after three-and-a-half innings but came back to win 14-13 ... Auburn sent 11 batters to the plate in the seven-run fifth ... It is the sixth time this season AU has sent eight-or-more hitters to the plate in one inning ... Donaldson now has 22 career home runs ... Donaldson started his 100th consecutive game for the Tigers.