May 7, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - No. 19 Auburn scored six times in the first inning, three off of one swing by Casey McElroy, and held on to claim a 9-6 series-opening win over Mississippi State on Friday night at Plainsman Park. Auburn improved its record to 31-15, 13-9 SEC while Mississippi State fell to 20-26, 5-17. With the win, Auburn matched its win total from all of last season and equaled the most conference wins since the 2005 team finished 13-17.
"We jumped out early and Mississippi State never went away. We had to battle for everything we could tonight," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "Cory (Luckie) got us into the sixth inning and Casey came up with a big three-run home run early in the game. It was a good win for us tonight."
Cory Luckie (6-2) threw 5 1/3 inning to pick up his fifth win in his last six starts, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and four strike outs. After being handed a six-run cushion after one, he allowed just two hits over the next four innings, at one point retiring eight straight. His only bit of trouble came in the sixth when he allowed a double, two walks and a single while only retiring one before being lifted in favor of Sean Ray with Auburn up, 7-1.
"It felt good the first five innings, but it was a little frustrating that I couldn't get through the sixth. My curveball was working pretty well today and I was able to throw it for strikes. I started throwing my change-up later in the game. It feels good to get some quality innings out there," Luckie said.
McElroy, who finished the night with three hits and three RBI, turned what had been a good first inning into a great inning when he launched a 1-1 Tyler Whitney offering off of the UnderArmour sign on the scoreboard following a two-run single by Tony Caldwell to make it 5-0.
Auburn battered Whitney (0-3) for nine runs on 16 hits, seven of which came in the first inning, as the Mississippi State hurler threw a complete game in the loss, striking out five without issuing a walk.
Justin Fradejas led off Auburn's half of the first with a single and finished the night with three hits, a run and a RBI, extending his hitting streak to 27 games, the second-longest in school history. He has also hit safely in all 19 SEC games in which he has played.
"I am just going out there, doing what my coaches want me to do and just hitting line drives and hitting the ball on the ground," Fradejas said.
With Auburn up 6-0 after one, Ryan Jenkins (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI) made it a seven-run lead as he doubled in Hunter Morris (1-for-3, HR, 2 HBP, 3 R) in the second.
Mississippi State finally got on the board off of Luckie and Ray in the sixth on Russ Sneed's RBI single that ended Luckie's night and a two-run double by Jaron Shepherd off of Ray.
Auburn answered in the bottom half when Brian Fletcher (3-for-5, 2 2B) doubled in Fradejas to put Auburn up, 8-3.
Mississippi State would not go down without a fight, scoring three more times in the eighth off of Bradley Hendrix and Austin Hubbard, collecting three unearned runs in the inning. Connor Powers (1-for-3, 2 R) reached on an error and then went to second on Sneed's walk, which prompted the move to Hubbard. After a Shepherd double brought in Powers, Cody Freeman lofted a ball down the right field line that could not be corralled by any of the three Auburn fielders surrounding it, dropping out of Justin Hargett's glove as he made a last-ditch effort to make the catch, allowing both men on base to score as there were already two outs in the inning.
Morris' 16th home run of the season and the 39th of his career provided the last run as he deposited a solo shot over the visitor's bullpen in right with two outs in the eighth and then Hubbard sat Mississippi State down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth.
Auburn will go for a third consecutive series win on Saturday when the two teams return to the diamond at 3pm. Mississippi State will throw Fr. RHP Chris Strattion (4-3, 5.64) while Auburn has yet to determine its starter.
Auburn 9, Mississippi State 6 (May 07, 2010 at Auburn, AL)
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Mississippi State... 000 003 030 - 6 7 0 (20-26, 5-17 SEC)
Auburn.............. 610 001 01X - 9 16 2 (31-15, 13-9 SEC)
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Win-Cory Luckie(6-2) Loss-Tyler Whitney(0-3) T-2:54 A-2788
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