March 11, 2011
AUBURN, Ala. - No. 7 Arizona State scored two ninth-inning runs and held on to defeat the No. 23 Auburn baseball team, 8-7, on Friday night at Plainsman Park. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Auburn (10-4).
"We were up 4-0 and Dan Gamache had put some really good swings on it but we knew they weren't going away. That's a solid ball club over there," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "We had our chances and it just didn't work out. In the sixth inning we kind of self-destructed but it was an inning in which we only gave up two runs so we did some damage control. Unfortunately we just couldn't find a way to win tonight."
Auburn built a 4-0 lead after three, capitalizing on two-out hits to take control early. In both the first and third innings, Casey McElroy (1-for-3, BB, 2 R) got a free pass to first, getting hit by a pitch in the first and drawing a two-out walk in the third. Both times Wes Gilmer (1-for-4, BB) also reached base, walking in the first and singling in the third to put two on for Gamache (3-for-4, 4 RB), who doubled both runners in in the first and tripled in the third to score two.
Arizona State (10-2) answered with three in the fourth, also capitalizing on two-out hits, as Xorge Carrillo (1-for-3, 2 RBI) drove in two with a two-out single and then scored on a Johnny Ruettiger (2-for-5, 3 RBI) single to cut the lead to 4-3.
Auburn fell behind 5-4 in the sixth despite allowing just one hit in the inning as Arizona State capitalized on a hit batter, two errors and two walks, scoring on a pair of sacrifice flies.
Kevin Patterson put Auburn back on top, 6-5, with his second home run of the season, a two-out blast into the K Korner in right in the bottom of the sixth.
The teams traded single runs in the top of the seventh and bottom of the eighth when Ruettiger drove in Austin Barnes (3-for-4, 3 R) and Bobby Andrews, who entered as a pinch runner for Gamache, scored from second on a single and a throwing error by Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero.
The top of the ninth started with a walk and a sacrifice to put a runner in scoring position with one out. Carrillo then singled home Barnes to tie the game at 7-7 before Andy Workman (3-for-3, R) singled off the umpire and scored on Zack MacPhee's (2-for-5, RBI) single.
Ethan Wallen (0-1) took the loss for Auburn, allowing two runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings while Mitchell Lambson (3-1) picked up the win for Arizona State, tossing 2 1/3 innings and allowing one run on four hits.
The loss spoiled what had been a solid outing for Auburn's Cory Luckie, who struck out a season-high eight while allowing three runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Auburn will attempt to even the series at 3pm on Saturday when it sends RHP Slade Smith (1-1) to the mound opposite Arizona State LHP Kyle Ottoson (2-0).
Arizona State 8, Auburn 7 (Mar 11, 2011 at Auburn, AL)
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Arizona State....... 000 302 102 - 8 15 2 (10-2)
Auburn.............. 202 002 010 - 7 9 3 (10-4)
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Win-Lambson, Mitchell(3-1) Loss-Ethan Wallen(0-1) T-3:17 A-2755
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