April 10, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. - For the third straight day Auburn saved its big scoring innings for the later part of the game as it scored six times in the seventh and eighth innings combined to complete its first sweep of Kentucky since 2003 with an 8-2 win on Sunday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
For the weekend, Auburn (18-14, 5-7 SEC) scored 35 runs on 48 hits, with 26 of its runs coming from the sixth through ninth innings.
"Our offense is confident; guys are seeing the ball real well right now," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "It's amazing one week to the next in this league. It's an absolute roller coaster ride. I thought the kids did a real good job of keeping our heads above water and going out and playing hard."
Casey McElroy (2-for-5), Tony Caldwell (2-for-5, R) and Kevin Patterson (2-for-4) each finished with two hits on the day, with McElroy driving in two runs and Patterson one, as Auburn finished the afternoon with 12 hits, getting at least one hit from every spot in the batting order.
"The last couple of weeks I haven't been seeing the ball too well but to come here and have a good weekend means a lot to me and my confidence level," McElroy said.
Auburn capitalized on four Kentucky (16-17, 2-10 SEC) errors to plate five of its eight runs, with all five unearned runs coming in the seventh and eighth innings.
Auburn broke open a 2-2 game with a four-run seventh, capitalizing on a Kentucky error at third to score three of the runs. Cullen Wacker's (1-for-2, R, RBI) pinch hit single off of the just inserted Kentucky reliever Trevor Gott put Auburn up, 3-2. Justin Fradejas (1-for-5, R) then hit a ball to Thomas McCarthy at third that he couldn't handle, allowing Justin Hargett (1-for-4, R, RBI) and Wacker to score. McElroy's RBI single to center finished off the scoring.
The four-run seventh made a loser out of Kentucky starter Taylor Rogers (2-4) as he was charged for four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, walking none and striking out three.
It also made a winner out of Sean Ray (2-1) as he entered with a man on first and one out in the sixth, striking out the first two hitters he faced. He then loaded the bases with two outs on a double and two walks in the seventh before turning it over to Dillon Ortman, who got a groundout to keep Auburn ahead by four.
Ortman threw the last 2 1/3 innings without allowing a hit to pick up his second save of the season.
Though he didn't factor into the decision Jon Luke Jacobs had another stellar outing for Auburn, settling down after a two-run first inning to strike out five in 5 1/3 innings. For his outing he allowed two runs on six hits and two walks.
Back to back doubles by Braden Kapteyn and J.T. Riddle gave Kentucky (16-17, 2-10 SEC) a 2-0 lead in the first, the third time this weekend that Kentucky scored in the first inning.
Patterson's two-out RBI single in the second scored Dan Gamache (1-for-4, 2B, R) after he led off the inning with his 10th double of the season to cut the lead to 2-1.
Brooks Beisner's pinch hit sacrifice fly in the fifth to score Creede Wimpson (1-for-4, 2B) tied the game at 2-2.
Auburn takes a break from midweek action this week and will not retake the field until Friday, April 15 at LSU in Baton Rouge for the first game of a three-game series.
Auburn 8, Kentucky 2 (Apr 10, 2011 at Lexington, KY)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Auburn.............. 010 010 420 - 8 12 1 (18-14, 5-7 SEC)
Kentucky............ 200 000 000 - 2 7 4 (16-17, 2-10 SEC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Win-Sean Ray(2-1) Save-Dillon Ortman(2) Loss-Taylor Rogers(2-3) T-3:00 A-1773
Follow Auburn baseball on twitter at twitter.com/AUTigerBaseball.