April 7, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - Justin Fradejas went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, as Auburn claimed a third straight win with a 6-2 victory over South Alabama on Wednesday night at Plainsman Park. The win improved Auburn's record to 20-10 while South Alabama dropped to 22-11.
"We used five different pitchers and all five went out there and threw strikes and gave us a chance to play solid defense," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "We scored 22 runs last night but then we had to manufacture runs tonight to score six."
Fradejas, who was hitting ninth in the lineup, hit a second-inning sacrifice fly to put Auburn up 2-0, doubled in the fourth, laid a successful suicide squeeze down in the sixth to put Auburn up 5-2 and singled and scored in the ninth for the final margin of victory.
"Today was a good for momentum to help us going into the weekend," Fradejas said. "South Alabama is a good team."
Cory Luckie (2-2) earned the win in the designated start as both teams used a parade of pitchers on the night. Luckie threw two scoreless innings, allowing two hits with a strike out.
"My last two outings have been really tough on me. I am grateful that Coach Pawlowski and Coach Foxhall gave me the chance to get out there and get my confidence back," Luckie said.
Michael Hurst earned his first career save with two scoreless innings in which he struck out three. Dating back to the Capital City Classic, he has now allowed just one earned run in his last three appearances, covering 7 1/3 innings.
"Our defense is playing really well and I am just letting them work behind me," Hurst said. "I am just trying to do whatever I can to help the team win. I thought tonight we played a great game offensively, defensively, pitching - all around. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the weekend."
South Alabama starter Lance Brown (1-2) was tagged with the loss as he allowed three second-inning runs. He allowed one hit, walked two and hit Justin Bryant on the left hand during his second-inning plate appearance. Bryant will have X-rays on the hand in the morning to determine the severity of the injury.
Creede Simpson's bases-loaded walk in the second scored the first run of the game and knocked Lance Brown out of the game. Fradejas greeted Chris Brown with a sac fly to center to score Bryant and then Justin Hargett collected a RBI single, the first of two hits for Auburn's leadoff man, to make it 3-0 Auburn after two.
South Alabama scored a run off of Slade Smith in the top of the third on a Jake Overstreet RBI groundout and then put a run on the board off of Stephen Kohlscheen in the fifth on an Adam Heisler home run to make it 3-2.
Tony Caldwell's RBI single in the fifth scored Brian Fletcher to put Auburn ahead 4-2 and then Fradejas laid down the bunt on the squeeze play, scoring Creede Simpson after he hit a triple to right-center.
Hunter Morris' eighth-inning sac fly scored Fradejas to close out the scoring.
Auburn will play host to No. 3 LSU this weekend. Game times are set for 7pm CT on Friday, 2pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday. Friday's game will air live on CSS and Saturday's game will air live on SportsSouth.
Auburn 6, South Alabama 2 (Apr 07, 2010 at Auburn, AL)
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South Alabama....... 001 010 000 - 2 10 0 (22-11)
Auburn.............. 030 011 01X - 6 13 0 (20-10)
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Win-Cory Luckie(2-2) Save-Michael Hurst(1) Loss-Brown, Lance(1-2) T-2:33 A-2059
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