May 30, 2015
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Rocky McCord and Keegan Thompson combined on a seven-hit shutout as Auburn baseball defeated Mercer 1-0 on Saturday in NCAA Regional action at Dick Howser Stadium.
"A really well played ball game on both sides," Auburn head coach Sunny Golloway said. "I thought we played really well. I'm really proud of our guys, we knew it was going to be a hard fought victory, but at this point it's just about trying to continue to advance and play for another day, and that's what we're doing."
McCord (W, 6-4) battled Mercer for six-plus innings. The senior scattered six hits over 6.2 innings with three strikeouts and two walks en route to his ninth quality start of the season.
He allowed a walk and a single with two outs in the seventh inning before giving way to Thompson. After Thompson walked Mercer's No. 3 hitter Kyle Lewis, the sophomore got a liner to shortstop to end the inning.
Thompson, making just the third relief appearance of his career and first in 2015, pitched the final 2.1 innings to record his first save of the season.
Auburn (36-25) only needed one run and it broke through against the Mercer pitching staff with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Pinch hitter Jordan Ebert singled, stole second and moved to third on a single by Sam Gillikin.
Another pinch hitter Blake Logan then delivered a sacrifice fly to center to score Ebert and put the Tigers on top 1-0. That was all the Tigers needed.
Jackson Burgreen had two hits. Damon Haecker made his first start at third base since March 29 and started a highlight double play in the ninth.
Daniel Robert and Gillikin both reached base twice.
Mercer starter Eric Nyquist pitched three innings and didn't allow a run. Reliever Morgan Pittman (2-3) took the loss with a run allowed in 3.1 innings.
Devin Bonin and Charlie Madden both had two hits for Mercer (35-23).
Auburn advances to face the loser of the Florida State-College of Charleston game at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday.
NOTES: Auburn is now 40-30 all-time in NCAA Regional play ... Auburn improves to 36-25 on the season ... Auburn is 64-15 all-time against Mercer, and takes home the win in the first postseason matchup in series history ... The win is Auburn's first shutout victory in NCAA Regional play since blanking Clemson 15-0 on May 31, 2003 ... Head coach Sunny Golloway is now 29-31 all-time in his career in NCAA play ... Auburn's eight shutouts this season are tied with the 1976 and 1989 teams for the 2nd-most shutouts in program history, only one off the school record set in 1988 ... The victory is the 17th time in 19 regional appearances all-time that Auburn has won at least one game ... Auburn wins its first 1-0 decision since defeating Samford by the same margin on April 9, 1996 ... Auburn's five strikeouts today give the Tigers 457 on the season, which is 9th-most in a season in Auburn history ... Auburn's two stolen bases today give the Tigers 60 steals on the season ... The Tigers now have 37 stolen bases in their last 25 games after stealing just 23 bases in the first 36 games ... Auburn is 21-3 when playing error-free baseball this season and has compiled a .986 fielding percentage in its 36 wins with just 19 errors in those games ... Auburn is now 31-4 when leading after six innings, 30-3 when leading after the seventh and 31-0 when leading after the eighth inning this season ... Keegan Thompson recorded his second career save and his first since April 11, 2014, at Alabama ... Damon Haecker walked for the 40th time this season in Auburn's victory over Mercer, which is the most by an Auburn player since Karl Amonite walked 41 times in 2005