March 31, 2015
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Kyler Deese hit his first career home run in a three-run seventh inning as Auburn baseball defeated Samford 9-4 on Tuesday at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
"I thought Rocky [McCord] competed really well," Auburn head coach Sunny Golloway said. "They were one hit from running away and he managed it. We got of that inning without further damage and that was good to see."
Clinging to a slim advantage, the Tigers (18-11) added some insurance in the seventh, all with two outs, on a RBI single by Melvin Gray followed by a two-run home run from Deese for an 8-4 lead.
Deese was 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
Auburn added a ninth run in the ninth inning on a RBI ground out by Daniel Robert.
Auburn starting pitcher Rocky McCord (W, 2-2) pitched 5.0 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts to earn the victories. Justin Camp picked up a four-out save, his fifth of the season.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the third, Damon Haecker's RBI single in the bottom half for the Tigers tied the score at 1-1.
The Bulldogs (11-15) moved back on top 2-1 in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI single by Hunter Swilling.
The lead was short lived.
Robert stretched his hitting streak to a career-best nine games with a double in the fourth and came around to score on a RBI single by Deese two batters later. The Tigers then took a 3-2 lead on a Ben Craft sacrifice fly that scored Gray.
Five Auburn hitters had multiple hits led by Anfernee Grier's 3-for-5 night. Alex Lee had three hits for the Bulldogs.
Samford tied the game again in the fourth, but once again it didn't last long as Auburn came back with two more runs for a 5-3 advantage in the fifth on RBI doubles by Robert and Gray.
The Bulldogs scratched a run in the sixth before the big inning for Auburn in the seventh.
Samford's Jesse Travis took the loss and dropped to 0-2 on the season.
Auburn is in action next on Friday at 6 p.m. at Plainsman Park against SEC foe Arkansas.