April 12, 2014
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Auburn's infield turned four double plays, but at the plate, the Tigers could not find an answer for Alabama left-hander Justin Kamplain.
Kamplain, Alabama's starter, limited Auburn to three hits in 8 ½ innings and the Tide evened the three-game series with a 4-1 victory at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Auburn coach Sunny Golloway said senior Terrance Dedrick, Auburn's closer last season and most of this season, will get the start on the mound in Sunday's series rubber game at 1 p.m. Freshman Keegan Thompson, Auburn's Saturday starter for most of the season, pitched in relief in Friday's 2-1 victory and will be in the bullpen Sunday.
Dedrick, a Tuscaloosa native, will make his first career start. He is 1-1 this season with a 2.87 ERA three saves. Last season, in 23 appearances, he was 4-2 with 3.63 ERA and 10 saves.
Golloway said he saw good things in Saturday's game, but his hitters could not find an answer for Kamplain.
"I thought we really played terrific defense," Golloway said. "Before the error that cost us two runs, they had 12 hits but just two runs. That's a good sign. We just had trouble getting to Kamplain. When his breaking ball is finding the zone, he's really tough. His breaking ball was finding the zone almost every time tonight."
Alabama got a run in the fourth, chasing Auburn starter Michael O'Neal, and another in the fifth off reliever Trey Cochran-Gill to go up 2-0. That would have been enough. Alabama put the game away with two runs in the eighth.
The Tigers, who had just four hits Friday, struggled again Saturday. Kamplain didn't give up a hit until Jordan Ebert reached on a bunt single in the top of the sixth after J.J. Shaffer walked. With two on and nobody out, Ryan Tella struck out, Damek Tomscha popped out and Blake Austin grounded out to the pitcher.
After Austin laced a one-out double and Short was hit by a pitch in the ninth, Damon Haecker's run-scoring single averted the shutout and cost Kamplain the first complete game of his college career. But Alabama closer Thomas Burrows got Dan Glevenyak on a popup to end the game.
O'Neal gave up a run on five hits in three innings and took the loss to fall to 2-4 on the season. Cochran-Gill gave up three runs, two of them earned, on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. Jay Wade finished up, giving up one hit and pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
With the loss, Auburn fell to 21-15 overall and 6-8 in the SEC. Alabama improved to 23-11 and 9-5.