May 14, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - No. 18 Auburn fell behind early and never could recover as it lost, 9-3, to Tennessee on Friday night at Plainsman Park. Tennessee's Cody Hawn hit a three-run home run in the first and Stephen McCray held Auburn to three runs in 7 1/3 innings, snapping Auburn's five-game Southeastern Conference winning streak.
The loss dropped Auburn to 33-17, 15-10 SEC and kept it from clinching a SEC Tournament berth in its first try.
"It was a frustrating night. We never really got out of the gate. Hawn hit a three-run home run early in the game and we gave them some pitches to hit. They turned on some balls and hit some balls hard," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said.
Brian Fletcher (1-for-4, 2 RBI) and Hunter Morris (2-for-4, HR) drove in all three of Auburn's runs in the game, with Morris belting his 18th home run of the season to lead off the eighth.
Hawn (2-for-3) and Blake Forsythe (2-for-4) each homered and drove in three runs for Tennessee, which improved to 29-21, 12-13 SEC.
McCray (6-3) continually kept Auburn from getting a timely hit as Auburn left nine men on base and was just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, that being a Fletcher third-inning RBI single to score Auburn's first run that also extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Cory Luckie (6-3) took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and walking two. As a whole the Auburn pitching staff issued nine walks as Stephen Kohlscheen walked four in 1 1/3 innings and Jon Luke Jacobs walked three in four innings.
Forsythe's home run to lead off the fourth to put Tennessee up 4-1 and then it scored again in the inning on Zach Osborne's (2-for-5) RBI single, one of four hits for Tennessee in the inning.
A Charley Thurber bases-loaded walk in the fifth extended the lead to 6-1 before Auburn answered with a run on Fletcher's sacrifice fly in the bottom half.
Tennessee responded with two runs in the sixth on a Forsythe two-run bases-loaded single to go up 7-2 and put the finishing touches on the scoring on Matt Ramsey's ninth-inning home run.
Auburn will attempt to even the series on Saturday at 3pm. Tennessee will start So. LHP Steven Gruver (4-3, 5.51) while Auburn has yet to announce its starter.
Tennessee 9, Auburn 3 (May 14, 2010 at Auburn, AL)
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Tennessee........... 300 212 001 - 9 10 1 (29-21, 12-13 SEC)
Auburn.............. 001 010 010 - 3 10 1 (33-17, 15-10 SEC)
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Win-Stephen McCray(6-3) Loss-Cory Luckie(6-3) T-2:56 A-2628
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