March 24, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Auburn found itself down by three runs heading to the top of the sixth inning but erupted for nine runs on five hits, three walks and an error en route to an 18-7 win over Samford at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Joseph Sanders hit a pair of home runs in the game, a solo shot and a grand slam, to take over the team lead in homers with 11 and finished the night driving in a career-high six RBI.
"The final score really didn't indicate the type of game it really was," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "We were down 7-4 and we end up scoring nine runs that inning. We put some good swings on it and had some really good at bats, especially with two strikes and two outs and I thought that was the difference."
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Auburn (16-8) while it extended Samford's (7-15) losing streak to four.
Auburn's nine-run top of the sixth turned a 7-4 deficit into a 13-7 lead, with all nine runs coming after two outs were made in the inning. Tony Caldwell, who finished the night 4-for-5 with a walk, a home run, three runs scored and three RBI, started the big sixth with a one-out single and went to second on Kevin Patterson's single. Trent Mummey then drew a two-out walk, bringing Sanders to the plate. The third baseman swung at the first pitch he saw and roped a line drive over the wall in center for Auburn's second grand slam of the season, putting Auburn ahead, 8-7.
"I got a little jammed on the grand slam, but the field is a little generous in left field," Sanders said. "I didn't think it would get out of here, I was thinking maybe it was a gap-shot but it got up and got out."
After the Sanders slam, Ben Jones reached on a fielding error by Samford shortstop Michael Johnson, giving Auburn a chance to extend the inning and capitalize on Samford's mistakes. After the error, Tyler Vanderheiden issued back-to-back walks to Hunter Morris and Brian Fletcher, setting the stage for Casey McElroy's two-run single, which extended his hitting streak to six games. Caldwell then capped the scoring with his second hit of the inning, a three-run blast to the left of the scoreboard in left-center, his fourth of the season and the 51st of the year for Auburn.
"You can't give teams four outs and we have done our share of that but we were fortunate to take advantage of that today," Pawlowski said. "Tony (Caldwell) had a great night for us. He caught really well and have several big hits including the three-run home run."
The nine-run sixth made a winner out of reliever Bradley Hendrix, who has won his last four decisions. He went a season-long-tying four innings, allowing a run on three hits with four strikeouts to move to 4-2 on the year in relief of starter Dexter Price.
Price left in the fifth after allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits in four innings, departing after Samford hit back-to-back home runs off of him in the fifth with none out to take a 7-4 lead.
Auburn added three eighth-inning runs on a Justin Hargett double and a Sanders sac fly and then tacked on two more when Patterson singled in two with two out in the ninth inning.
Vanderheiden (0-3) was tagged for the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on three hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning.
Sanders' 10th home run of the year had put Auburn up, 1-0, just the second hitter into the game.
Justin Hargett's two-out RBI double to right had made it 2-0 Auburn in the second, scoring Caldwell, who had started the two-out rally with a single back up the middle.
Samford tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a pair of base hits and two sacrifices while also benefitting from an Auburn error. David Schulze and Bo Smith hit back-to-back singles to start the inning before Davis Harrison dropped down a sacrifice bunt that Price fielded cleanly but threw high to first, allowing Schulze to score on the error and Smith to reach third. A Michael Johnson sac fly to deep center tied it at 2-2 off of Price.
Auburn reclaimed the lead on Ben Jones's two-RBI single to left, scoring Hargett and Mummey to put Auburn ahead, 4-2. Hargett led off the inning with his second hit of the night, a single to center, before Mummey drew a four-pitch walk.
Mummey's fifth-inning walk extended his games reaching base safely streak to 23 and his two runs scored pushed his season total to 41, second-most in the nation, while McElroy has now had four consecutive two-hit games, finishing the night 2-for-6 with two runs and two RBI.
The bottom three in the Auburn order finished a collective 11-for-16 with five runs scored and eight RBI as Hargett finished a home run shy of the cycle.
Auburn's 51 home runs ranks 12th all-time in Auburn history.
Auburn finished the night with 12 two-out RBI.
Auburn returns to the field on Wednesday night when it travels to Troy. First pitch is set for 6pm CT at Troy's Riddle-Pace Field.
Auburn 18, Samford 7 (Mar 24, 2009 at Birmingham, AL)
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Auburn.............. 110 029 032 - 18 17 1 (16-8)
Samford............. 000 250 000 - 7 11 3 (7-15)
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Win-Bradley Hendrix(4-2) Loss-Tyler Vanderheiden(0-3) T-3:07 A-1243
HR AU - Joseph Sanders 2 (11); Tony Caldwell (4).
HR SAM - Mason Meredeth (3); David Schulze (2).
Weather: 72 degrees; Cloudy
