Feb. 19, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn offense couldn't overcome five miscues in the field that led to six unearned runs as it fell, 13-8, to Southeast Missouri in the season-opening game for both clubs. Auburn will try to even the series on Saturday at 3pm when it sends Jr. LHP Grant Dayton to the hill.
"I am very disappointed for our kids and for our program," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "These guys work so hard in the preseason and put so much effort into it, unfortunately today we weren't very good. We didn't pitch very well, we didn't execute pitches. You put five errors on the board and you don't hit in the clutch and you get beat."
Brian Fletcher had a team-high three RBI for Auburn, going 2-for-4 with a double while Creede Simpson and Hunter Morris each had a team-high three hits. Justin Hargett was 2-for-5 with a home run.
Auburn scored two in the bottom of the first after Auburn starter Jon Luke Jacobs put SEMO down one-two-three in the top half as Fletcher drove in his first run of the game and Morris scored on a Dan Gamache (1-for-3, RBI) groundout.
SEMO answered with a run in the top of the second on a Louie Haseltine (1-for-5) home run and then put up three more when Jim Klocke (3-for-6, 5 RBI) blasted a three-run home run in the third to give SEMO a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
SEMO scored a pair of unearned runs to knock Jacobs out of the game in the top of the fifth, tacked on two more runs (both earned) off of Bradley Hendrix in the sixth and then roughed-up Sean Ray for four unearned runs in the seventh as Auburn committed a pair of errors in the inning.
Hargett homered and a Fletcher sac fly scored two for Auburn in the bottom of the seventh and then three straight hits by Simpson, Morris and Fletcher brought Auburn to within four, 12-8, before SEMO closed it out with a run in the ninth on a Klocke single.
Jacobs was touched for six runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings, striking out four, while Hendrix allowed a pair of runs on just 2/3 of an inning.
Nick Thomas earned the win for SEMO, entering in the fifth for starter Kyle Gumieny (4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO), lasting 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks.
Justin Fradejas hit two-out home run in the bottom of the fourth for Auburn.
Southeast Missouri 13, Auburn 8 (Feb 19, 2010 at Auburn, AL)
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Southeast Missouri.. 013 022 401 - 13 15 3 (1-0)
Auburn.............. 200 100 230 - 8 12 5 (0-1)
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Win-Nick Thomas(1-0) Loss-Jon Luke Jacobs(0-1) T-3:29 A-2494
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