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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Cody Nulph and Blake Logan had key ninth-inning RBIs as Auburn baseball defeated UAB 6-4 on Tuesday at Regions Field.
With the bases loaded, Nulph singled to right and Logan followed with a sac fly to left to break the tie and put Auburn (14-7) on top, 6-4. Justin Camp worked out of a bases loaded jam and closed the door in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory and earn his fourth save of the season.
"It was a see-saw battle, back and forth, that was a heck of a ball game," Auburn head baseball coach Sunny Golloway said. "I think when you look back in hindsight you realize [Dalton] Rentz was pretty special. UAB was not getting the swings off him that they got late in the ball game."
Dalton Rentz dominated on the hill for the Tigers for five innings. Making his first career start, the junior from Mobile pitched five-plus innings and allowed only three hits and one earned run. He struck out a career-high six with no walks.
Birmingham native Robby Clements improved to 2-0 on the season with 2.1 innings of one-hit relief. Thomas Lowery (3-2) took the loss for UAB.
Auburn opened up a 2-0 lead on an RBI triple by Keegan Thompson in the second inning followed by an RBI single from Blake Logan in the third inning. The triple by Thompson came in his first at-bat of the season.
The Blazers got their big inning in the sixth with four runs. Adam Lau homered to lead off the inning, Mitch Williams scored on a throwing error by Auburn's Blake Logan and Griffin Gum drove home two on a double into the gap and the Tigers trailed 4-2.
Auburn responded in the seventh as Anfernee Grier reached on an error allowing Thompson to score on the play. Melvin Gray then scored on a RBI single to center by Damon Haecker to tie the game at four.
Haecker, Logan and Gray each finished with two hits to pace the Auburn offense.
Auburn is in action next this weekend when it hosts No. 4 Vanderbilt for a three-game SEC series.