April 27, 2008
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -
Alabama scored nine runs between the first two innings and Auburn could never recover, falling 17-7 in Sunday afternoon's series finale at Alabama. The loss dropped Auburn to 24-21, 8-13 SEC while Alabama is now 25-21, 10-11 SEC.
"The scoreboard told the story. I loved how we came out offensively in the first inning, we attacked them and got a run on the board but then they came back and attacked us," Auburn Head Coach Tom Slater said.
Back-to-back doubles by Mike Bianucci (3-for-4, 2 2B, 3 R) and Joseph Sanders (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) in the top of the first gave Auburn an early 1-0 lead only to have Alabama answer with a four-run bottom half of the inning as the first three Alabama hitters all reached base and scored and Matt Bentley (2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI) hit his ninth home run of the year, a two-run shot to right to make it 4-1 after one.
Alabama got right back at it in the second, scoring five runs on four hits and two walks, extending its lead to 9-1 by the end of two. Paul Burnside, who entered for starter Bradley Hendrix (1-2) to start the second, was tagged for four runs in just 0.2 innings.
Auburn made it 9-3 in the top of the fifth as Sanders singled in Trent Mummey (1-for-4, R), who led off with a single, and David Cunningham's (2-for-4, 2 RBI) sacrifice fly scored Bianucci, who also singled.
Alabama got those two runs back plus another in the bottom of the sixth as Kent Matthes (1-for-5, 2 R) scored on Kyle Moore's (1-for-4, R, RBI) single to center and then Josh Rutledge's (4-for-5, R, 2 RBI) single to center scored another two.
Auburn made it a 12-5 game with two in the top of the seventh as Cunningham collected his second RBI of the afternoon with a single to score Bianucci, the third run he scored on the afternoon, and then Brian Fletcher (1-for-5, R) scored on Kevin Patterson's (1-for-5, RBI) hard-hit single through the left side.
Austin Hubbard was tagged for four runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings, entering after Burnside in the second.
Robert Phares (2-3) earned the win for Alabama, surrendering Auburn's first three runs on eight hits, lasting into the sixth before being pulled with a runner on first and none out.
The game was stopped for 24 minutes in the bottom of the seventh due to rain and Alabama then put the game away with three straight home runs off of Bryan Woodall, making it 17-5.
Auburn scored a pair of runs in the eighth on Justin Jones' pinch-hit double down the line in right, making it 17-7.
Auburn returns home for its final home midweek game of the season on Tuesday night when it plays host to Troy at 6 pm CT.