April 21, 2007
AUBURN, Ala. -
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Luke Greinke went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball during an intentional walk and the Auburn bullpen allowed just one hit over the final 3.2 innings as Auburn defeated Alabama, 6-3, on Saturday afternoon to clinch the series from the Crimson Tide.
"Our pitchers did a tremendous job of keeping us in the ball game today," Auburn Head Coach Tom Slater said. "Taylor Thompson, Chris Dennis and Brett Butts really did a nice job of keeping it close and allowing us to get back into the game."
Greinke, who extended his personal- and team-best hitting streak to 17 games with a RBI single in the fifth, drove in Eric Skinner with one down in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3 and then scored two batters later when Josh Copeland's first pitch of an intentional walk to Mike Bianucci (0-for1, 3 BB) got past catcher Ryan Rhoden to put the Tigers ahead to stay.
"I knew as along as we stayed in the game, whether it was me or someone else, someone was going to get a hit and we would get the runs we needed. I noticed he (Robert) started going to his breaking ball a lot more and I just sat on it and I was fortunate enough to get hits on both of them," Greinke said of his fifth- and seventh-inning singles.
The Tigers scored two more times in the eighth inning as Dustin Spruill's two-RBI single through the right side of the infield made it a 6-4 game. The Tuscaloosa native finished the game 1-for-4 with two RBIs and has now hit safely in nine of his last 10 games.
"We were helped out by some defensive miscues by Alabama in that inning, but I think the nature of how we play - trying to pressure people with the running game and the bunting game - sometimes that helps create the pressure on the defense and I think that was the case today," Slater said.
"I struggled a little early today but the guys in the dugout really helped me. They were pitching me the same way the whole day and I came through and I was glad to help us pull out a victory," Spruill said.
Dennis (2-3) picked up the win after relieving the starter Thompson in the top of the sixth with one out and two on. He coaxed his first batter to hit into a double-play and did not allow an Alabama hitter to reach base for the next two innings, retiring all seven hitters he faced.
"Any victory is big, but being an in-state guy, from when you are born you are taught what this rivalry means and to go ahead and secure this game today and give us a chance to go for the sweep tomorrow was huge," Dennis said.
Butts earned his team-leading fifth save of the season as he retired three of the four hitters he faced in the ninth.
Auburn (27-15, 6-11) has now won six of its last nine SEC games after starting the conference season 0-8.
The Tigers had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when Greinke hit a sacrifice fly that scored Bruce Edwards (0-for-2, BB).
Alabama (22-18, 7-10 SEC) tied it in the second on a Matt Bentley solo home run to right and took a 2-1 lead in the next inning on Jeff Texada's RBI double.
Auburn tied it at 2-2 in the fifth on Greinke's RBI single left only to see Alabama reclaim the lead on Kent Matthes's RBI single up the middle, knocking out Thompson.
Thompson was strong in the start for the Tigers, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks, striking out five in 5.1 innings.
Bernard Robert (4-5) took the loss for Alabama, surrendering four runs in 6.1 innings.
Bianucci stole two bases in the game, giving him eight on the year and Auburn 90 on the season.
The game drew a crowd of 4,170 which was the ninth-largest crowd in Plainsman Park history.
Auburn will be going for its first sweep of Alabama since the 2001 season on Sunday when it sends So. RHP Justin Bristow (1-4) to the mound. Alabama will counter with So. RHP Austin Hyatt (4-1). Game time is set for 1:30pm CT and will be broadcast on CSS.