May 4, 2012
ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia needed just two hits in its four-run sixth to break open a tie game en route to a 5-2 victory over Auburn on Friday night at Foley Field. The loss dropped the Auburn baseball team's record to 25-20, 10-12 SEC while Georgia improved to 26-20, 10-12 SEC.
"We just weren't able to make the pitches and against good teams they capitalize on it," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "Combine that with we weren't able to piece much together offensively. I thought he (Georgia starting pitcher Alex Wood) did a real good job and held us in check most of the night."
Base hits were scarce on the night as both teams had just four of them, but it was free bases that cost the Auburn pitching staff, which issued a combined seven walks and hit a batter, with three of the walks coming around to score.
Wood (6-1) threw eight strong innings to pick up the win, striking out 10 and issuing three walks. He struck out eight of the nine Auburn starters, with Dan Glevenyak, who had two hits, the only starter not to strike out.
Tied at 1-1 going to the bottom of the sixth, Georgia used two singles, one of which was an infield hit, four walks and a hit batter to score four times. The two singles started the inning, the first knocking Auburn starter Jon Luke Jacobs from the game and bringing in Slade Smith with one out. Smith walked two batters and hit a batter, prompting a move to Cory Luckie with the bases loaded and two runs already in in in the inning. Luckie got a ground ball to second, but it was too slow for Auburn to turn two, allowing the third run of the inning to score. Luckie then walked two more to drive in the fourth and final run of the inning and a 5-1 Georgia advantage.
Jacobs (5-2) took the loss as he allowed two runs on three hits and two walks, striking out four in 5 1/3 innings.
Georgia took a 1-0 lead in the third as Colby May walked and scored on a Curt Powell two-out bloop single to right.
Auburn answered in the top of the sixth when Garrett Cooper, who had two hits, singled and scored from second on a Glevenyak two-out single through the left side of the infield to tie it at 1-1.
Ryan Tella was hit by a pitch, went to second on a ground out, took third on a passed ball and scored on a Cooper single in the eighth for Auburn's only other run of the game.
Auburn missed an opportunity to take the lead in the second as Glevenyak was thrown out at the plate trying to score from third on a grounder that third baseman Powell bobbled before going home on the play.
The win was also costly defensively for Auburn as Tella and Cullen Wacker collided on the final play of the fifth. Wacker would leave the game with a sprained knee and is not expected to return the rest of the weekend.
Glevenyak stole second in the second, becoming the fifth Auburn player to steal 10-plus bases this season. The last time Auburn had five guys steal 10-or-more bases in a single season was 2001 when five players combined for 79 of the team's 84 bases, led by Javon Moran's 24.
Auburn will try to even the series at 3pm on Saturday when it sends Daniel Koger (3-4) to the mound opposite Georgia's Michael Palazzone (2-5). The game will air live on CSS.
Georgia 5, Auburn 2 (May 04, 2012 at Athens, GA)
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Auburn.............. 000 001 010 - 2 4 2 (25-20, 10-12 SEC)
Georgia............. 001 004 00X - 5 4 1 (26-20, 10-12 SEC)
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Win-Alex Wood(6-1) Save-Pete Nagel(1) Loss-Jon Luke Jacobs(5-2) T-3:02 A-2256
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