April 22, 2007
AUBURN, Ala. -
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The Auburn bullpen gave the Tigers a solid outing for the second straight day but Auburn could not overcome Alabama's nine-run first inning as Auburn fell, 12-4, on Sunday.
Alabama (23-18, 8-10 SEC) scored nine runs on seven hits, two walks and an Auburn error in the first, knocking out Auburn starter Justin Bristow (1-5) after just two-thirds of an inning.
"Unfortunately we got down by a lot early and never gave ourselves a chance to get into the game, but the kids continued to play hard offensively," Auburn Head Coach Tom Slater said. "I thought Bryan Woodall really threw the ball well. He did what he does, which is get ground balls. It was good to see Evan Crawford come in and give us five strong innings."
Woodall relieved Bristow in the first and was charged with four runs (only one of which was earned) on five hits without issuing a walk in 3.1 innings.
Crawford then entered in the fifth and did not allow a run for the final 5.0 innings, issuing just two hits and three walks. He also struck out the side in the eighth.
For the weekend, the Auburn bullpen threw 13.0 innings, allowing just one earned run and three walks while striking out 12, earning a win and a save.
Auburn (27-16, 6-12), which captured the series victory with a 12-5 win on Friday night and a 6-3 win on Saturday, got a three-hit performance out of Josh Donaldson on Sunday. The junior scored Auburn's first run of the game on a wild pitch in the fourth after singling to lead off the inning and going to third on an attempted pickoff play that wound up in the camera box.
Luke Greinke extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a single in the seventh, finishing the day 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. In the series, Greinke was 6-for-10 with two walks, two sac flies, three runs scored and seven RBIs.
Robert Brooks (2-for-3, BB, 2 R) and Ross Smith (2-for-3, R, RBI) combined to go 4-for-6 with three runs scored from the bottom third of the order.
Tommy Hunter (4-3) threw a complete game to earn the win for Alabama, scattering nine hits and two walks.
Auburn will play the final non-conference game of its season on Wednesday night at Troy. First pitch is scheduled for 6pm CT at Riddle-Pace Field.