Feb. 20, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - Creede Simpson finished the night with just one hit but it was a big one as the sophomore delivered a two-out, game-winning RBI single to center in the bottom of the 10th inning as Auburn defeated Southeast Missouri, 9-8, on Saturday evening. Auburn trailed by two runs heading into the bottom of the 10th but RBI singles by Gilmer and Simpson lifted Auburn to its first victory of the season and a chance at a series win on Sunday.
"I was struggling all day at the plate and I wanted to get a pitch that I could drive early in the count. Luckily he threw me one up there and I hit it," Simpson said. "There we so many ups and downs in today's game but we found a way to pull out the win. It's always good to get the first one off your back and hopefully we can take some momentum from that and keep it going."
After building a 6-2 lead after seven, Auburn (1-1) allowed SEMO to score three times in the eighth and once in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.
The top of the 10th saw SEMO (1-1) collect just one hit, a single by Brennan Malham, but a walk, errors by Justin Hargett and Hunter Morris and a pair of fielder's choices allowed SEMO to take an 8-6 lead.
Dan Gamache (2-for-3, 3 BB, 3 R) started Auburn's answer in the bottom of the 10th with a single and went to second when Justin Bryant (1-for-4, R, RBI) was hit by a 2-2 pitch. Two batters later Wes Gilmer (3-for-5, BB, R, 2 RBI) delivered a single to left that scored both runners to tie the game at 8-8. Hargett was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second for Simpson, who roped a sinking liner into center that scored pinch runner Justin Fradejas from second with the game-winning run.
Bradley Hendrix (1-0) earned the win in relief despite being charged with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the 10th.
Trent Wise (0-1) took the loss for SEMO, surrendering three runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Auburn struggled to put runs on the board early despite having multiple opportunities, leaving the bases loaded in the first, third and fourth innings, leaving a total of 18 runners on in the game.
"It was tough early in the game. We had so many guys that we left on base (13 through the first five innings) and we just couldn't come up with big hit. I guess we saved the last few biggest hits for extra innings," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said.
In the third a Bryant single scored Gamache for the early lead only to see SEMO go up by a run with a two-run top of the fifth. Auburn reclaimed the lead with two runs in the sixth as Tony Caldwell (2-for-6, 2 RBI) singled in a pair and then Auburn added three more in the seventh as Morris drove in a run and Brian Fletcher (1-for-5, 2 RBI) drove in two more to put Auburn up, 6-2.
Morris was 3-for-6 on the night with two runs scored and an RBI, giving him six hits in his first two games.
The two teams will play the rubber game at 1pm on Sunday when a pair of left-handers face off in Auburn's Cole Nelson and SEMO's Jordan Underwood.
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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