May 20, 2017
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AUBURN, Ala. -- Ole Miss used a three-run fourth to break open a tie game and rode the strong relief pitching of Will Stokes to defeat Auburn, 8-4, in the regular season finale for both baseball teams.
"Stokes did a marvelous job for them," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. "That's number one and the second part is our relievers. As well as we pitched the first two games of the series, our bullpen was really weak and porous today. We got the series, but did not execute enough out of the bullpen today, and Stokes did a tremendous job. We just couldn't get anything going after we came out after the delay."
Despite the loss, Auburn finished the regular season 34-22, 16-14 SEC, which represents the program's best conference record since 2010.
Ole Miss finished the regular season 32-24, 14-16 SEC.
With the outcome of Saturday's games, the two teams will not wait too long to face each other again as the pair will play the 8-9 game in the SEC Tournament on Tuesday in Hoover. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
The two teams were tied at 3-3 after three innings as Auburn capitalized on a pair of Ole Miss errors for three unearned runs. A Conor Davis single in the first drove in Jonah Todd for a 1-0 Auburn lead and then a Josh Anthony double scored two in the third to tie it.
Auburn starter Andrew Mitchell allowed three runs in 2 1/3 innings on two hits and two walks. Ryan Olenek doubled in a run in the second, Tate Blackman tripled in a run and Nick Fortes drove in Blackman in the third.
Cooper Johnson's successful squeeze play and RBI singles from Blackman and Nick Fortes were the catalysts for Ole Miss fourth inning. All of those runs came off of Calvin Coker (3-2), who lasted 1 2/3 innings, surrendering the three runs on five hits and a walk.
The game was delayed for 58 minutes in the bottom of the fifth with a runner on first, two out and Josh Anthony at the plate. Stokes (2-1) would resume the game on the mound for Ole Miss and induced a flyout to end the inning. He would work the final 4 1/3 innings, surrendering a hit and striking out five.
David Parkinson started the game on the mound for Ole Miss and allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out eight before the weather delay knocked him out of the game.
Dylan Ingram extended his career-best hitting streak to 12 games with a third-inning single.