March 24, 2012
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn defense turned inning-ending double plays in the ninth and 10th innings, both times with the go-ahead run on third, and Dan Glevenyak hit a 10th-inning game-winning sacrifice fly to send the Auburn baseball team to a 3-2 win over No. 8 LSU on Saturday afternoon at Plainsman Park. The win upped Auburn's record to 15-8, 4-1 SEC and gave the club a third straight series win over LSU, something it hasn't done since 1988-90.
Staring at a 2-1 deficit headed to the bottom of the eighth, Auburn tied the game on Garrett Cooper's RBI single to right, scoring Ryan Tella, who had two hits in the game. That set the stage for the spectacular defensive plays, both of which were 4-6-3 double plays, and Glevenyak's sac fly.
The bottom of the 10th started with a four pitch walk to Cullen Wacker out of LSU reliever Joey Bourgeois (0-1). A Cooper sacrifice bunt put the winning run in scoring position for Justin Bryant, who after working a 3-1 count was intentionally walked. LSU then went to closer Nick Goody, and he uncorked a wild pitch to put both men in scoring position and bring Glevenyak to the plate. With a drawn in infield, Goody went to 2-2 on Glevenyak before he hit one plenty deep in right-center for Wacker to race home with the game-winning run and Auburn's fifth straight win.
"I was just looking for a ball up in the zone that I could handle. I got a fastball, put a good swing on it and drove it out to right field," Glevenyak said. "When I first hit it I didn't think it was going to be that deep but it started carrying and I had a pretty good feeling about it."
Slade Smith (2-3) picked up the win out of the Auburn bullpen, entering in the 10th with one down and none out. After giving up back-to-back singles that put runners on the corners, he induced the grounder from Grant Dozar that ended the LSU threat.
"I can't say enough about our starting pitching. They get us deep in the game and then when we get the call in the bullpen we just have to go out there and execute pitches and let the offense do what they do," Smith said. "(Double Plays) are huge. I think I speak for Justin (Bryant) as well. We try not to get ahead of ourselves. We try to stay calm and get ground balls and let the middle infield do their job."
Auburn went up 1-0 in the first on a Wacker sacrifice fly to score Jay Gonzalez, who drew the first of his two walks on the afternoon.
LSU (17-6, 2-3 SEC) responded by taking its first lead of the weekend in the third off of Auburn starter Will Kendall, using a safety squeeze from Chris Sciambra and a sacrifice fly from Mason Katz to go up 2-1.
Kendall worked six full innings, scattering six hits without issuing a walk while LSU starter Ryan Eades worked 7 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and four walks, striking out four.
Auburn's bullpen of Jay Wade, Bryant, Cory Luckie and Smith combined to throw four innings of shutout ball, allowing five hits and two walks but nothing else.
Creede Simpson lead Auburn at the plate with three hits, his fourth three-hit game of the season, and also started two of Auburn's defensive double plays.
Auburn's one-run victory was its third straight in SEC play going back to the Sunday win at Ole Miss.
Auburn will be going for its first season sweep of LSU since 1988 on Sunday and the first at home since 1982. Daniel Koger (1-1) will get the start on the mound for Auburn while LSU will send Aaron Nola (3-1) to the hill. First pitch is set for 1pm.
Auburn 3, LSU 2 (Mar 24, 2012 at Auburn, AL)
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LSU................. 002 000 000 0 - 2 11 0 (17-6, 2-3 SEC)
Auburn.............. 100 000 010 1 - 3 9 2 (15-8, 4-1 SEC)
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Win-Slade Smith(2-3) Loss-Joey Bourgeois(0-1) T-3:10 A-4138
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