March 28, 2015
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STARKVILLE, Miss. - Sophomore right-hander Keegan Thompson scattered four hits over a season-long 8.0 innings and did not allow a run as Auburn baseball took the series from Mississippi State with a 4-0 victory on Saturday.
Thompson improved to 5-2 on the season in leading Auburn to its first back-to-back shutouts since 2001 and first consecutive shutouts of an SEC opponent since two-straight over Ole Miss in 1988.
The consecutive shutouts of Mississippi State marked the first back-to-back road shutouts of an SEC opponent since May 5-6, 1967 against Georgia.
"I'm really proud of Keegan," Auburn head coach Sunny Golloway said. "He really let his defense work and he managed his pitch count. He pounded the zone and it seemed like anything that was a ball was just barely a ball. That's how good he was today."
Thompson struck out five with only one walk as Auburn earned its first series win in Starkville since 2009.
The Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning in support of Thompson with the key hit a two-run single to center by Anfernee Grier. Grier later came across on a wild pitch by MSU starter Austin Sexton.
Grier was 2-for-4 for his 13th multi-hit game of the season. Haecker and Nulph both added two hits.
Blake Logan drove in a run in the eighth as Auburn stretched its lead to 4-0.
Justin Camp pitched the final inning for the Tigers to finish the series win.
Auburn goes for the sweep on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. with RHP Dalton Rentz on the mound.