March 18, 2008
TROY, Ala. -
Ben Jones delivered a two-out, two-strike RBI single to right-center in the top of the ninth that scored two runs to break-up a tie game as Auburn downed Troy, 6-4, on Tuesday night at Riddle-Pace Field.
Jones, who entered in the seventh in right field, went 2-for-2, scoring the game-tying run in the eighth on Matt Hall's (2-for-4, R) RBI double before delivering the game-winning hit in the ninth.
"I got behind pretty quick and I was just trying to put the bat on the ball and put the ball in play because we had two runners on," Jones said. "It was an inside fastball and I just hit a little blooper, but it got down."
Evan Crawford (3-0) picked up the win in relief, throwing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, walking two and striking out two.
Bryan Woodall came in with one on and two down in the ninth to nail down his fourth save of the season.
Luke Greinke pitched a gem for Auburn (12-8), going 5.0 innings and allowing just one unearned run on four hits and two walks. Greinke retired the final eight hitters he faced and induced nine groundouts, including two double-play balls before departing with a 3-1 lead.
Trent Mummey (1-for-4, BB, 2 RBI) led off the game with his second home run of the season, a shot over the 30-foot-high wall in right.
Troy (12-7) answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the first but allowed Auburn to score two more in the top of the second to give AU the 3-1 lead.
The two teams then played scoreless baseball until the seventh when Troy took a 4-3 lead with three unearned runs in the seventh.
Justin Hargett (2-for-4, BB) and Hunter Morris (1-for-4) both extended their hitting streaks with seventh-inning singles as Hargett extended his to nine games and Morris to seven.
Auburn returns home for a three-game series against No. 2 Kentucky this weekend. Friday's opener is scheduled to start at 6pm.