LEXINGTON ? Auburn used walks in each of the final three innings to score the winning run and pull away from Kentucky for a 8-4 victory on Friday night at Applebee?s Park.
The loss drops the Wildcats to 17-15 overall and 1-11 in Southeastern Conference play. Auburn, ranked 23rd nationally, improved to 24-13 and 7-6 in league action. The two will play the second of the three-game set Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard on WRXA 1580-AM in the Lexington area.
Heading into the seventh, the game was knotted at 4-4 when Craig Snipp walked Clete Thomas, the leadoff batter. Thomas then stole second and was driven in on Jeff Boutwell?s two-out RBI single.
With a one-run lead, Auburn used the same formula in the eighth to add an insurance run. This time it was Adam Stacey with a one-out walk and a stolen base to get in scoring position. Tyler Johnstone scored him with a two-out single.
?We have been stressing to our pitchers to throw strikes and we have been doing a better job of it,? Kentucky head coach John Cohen said. ?The past couple games our walks have been down and we?ve been successful. Unfortunately tonight they came back to haunt us.?
The ninth began with yet another lead off walk to Karl Amonite before Kentucky?s defense giftwrapped a pair of runs for the Tigers. Ben Sprague laid down a bunt, but nobody covered first to allow him to reach safely.
Philip Stringer followed with a sacrifice bunt of his own and reached as third baseman J.B. Schmidt?s throw to first sailed wide, which allowed Amonite to score and sent Sprague to third. A sac fly plated the final run for an 8-4 victory.
?We still have a lot of young players and player that are playing positions for the first time in their careers,? Cohen said. ?When you do that, things like the ninth inning are going to happen. It?s a situation that we?ll learn from and we?ll be better down the road.?
The Wildcats had their chances, stranding nine runners in the ball game, including two in the seventh ? when trailing by a single run ? when J.P. Lowen struck out looking.
Kentucky led 4-2 through four innings in large part due to Schmidt. He led off the game with a walk and scored on Michael Bertram?s single to right-centerfield. Two innings later, Schmidt laced a lead off single and scored his second run on Billy Grace?s double off the wall in right.
An out later, Bertram plated Grace with his own double down the line and Kentucky led 3-1.
Schmidt?s sacrifice fly in the fourth scored Justin Scutchfield for the Wildcats final run of the game. Kentucky had six more base runners in the final five frames, but none got past second base.
?I thought we gave ourselves offensive chances all game long,? Cohen said. ?But in baseball it?s all about getting timely hits and we didn?t come through when we had to.?
Josh Bell tied the game in the top half of the fifth with his second home run of the game off Wildcat starter Kalen Gibson.
Gibson worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits while walking four and striking out four. He earned a no decision as Craig Snipp, who relieved him, was pinned with the loss. Snipp went 2 1/3 and gave up a pair of runs on two hits while striking out four. He also had the two costly walks in the seventh and eighth.
Auburn reliever John Madden worked an inning and gave up a hit and a walk to improve to 6-0 on the year. Michael Nix hurled the final 2 1/3 to pick up his ninth save. Starter Arnold Hughey matched Gibson by allowing four runs on six hits in five innings while earning no-decision.
Aaron Tennyson (3-1, 4.45) will take the hill for Kentucky on Saturday against Josh Sullivan (6-2, 3.38).
Notes
Kentucky lost its seventh straight Friday SEC game ? Kentucky falls to 0-3 this year at Applebee?s Park ? Kentucky has held a lead in eight of its 11 SEC losses ? Kentucky has used a different batting order in all 32 of its games this year ? Steve Deaton got his first start of the year at designated hitter ? Kentucky committed an error for the 18th straight game.
Auburn 8, Kentucky 4
April 15, 2005
at Lexington, Ky.
Auburn – 100 120 112 – 8 10 0 (24-13, 7-6 SEC)
Kentucky – 102 100 000 – 4 9 1 (17-15, 1-11 SEC)
Pitchers: Auburn – Hughey; Shore(6); Madden(6); Nix(7). Kentucky – K. Gibson; C. Snipp(6); B. Baber(8); A. Revelette(9).
Win-Madden(6-0) Save-Nix(9) Loss-C. Snipp(2-2) T-3:15 A-805
HR AU – Bell 2 (8).
Weather: 68 degrees and clear, wind blowing in from right at 9 mph
