13 Auburn Eliminated From SEC Tournament In 10-Innings

[AUSportTalk 4]

Taylor Hashman’s 10th-inning three run home run off of

Bradley Hendrix ended Auburn’s run at the Southeastern Conference

Tournament on Friday evening as the No. 13 Tigers fell 10-7 to No. 21

Ole Miss.

The loss put Auburn’s record at 40-19 with the NCAA Regional site

selection announcement coming at approximately 2:30pm CT on Sunday and

the entire field being announced at 11:30am on Monday.

Auburn was undone by a season-high-tying five errors that led to four

unearned runs for Ole Miss (38-21). Three of those unearned runs came in

the top of the seventh when Auburn committed three errors, one on a fly

ball to left and one on a ground ball to second on a drawn-in infield,

as Ole Miss took a 7-4 lead.

“We didn’t play at a high, championship level today. Against good teams,

certainly at this time of the year, no matter who you play, you need to

play at a high level,” Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. “We made

some mistakes and that cost us the ball game…Ole Miss played a solid

game and they deserved to win today”

Auburn answered Ole Miss’ three runs with three runs of its own in the

bottom half of the inning as 2010 SEC Player of the Year Hunter Morris

blasted a game-tying, three-run home run over the second wall down the

line in right for his 21st home run of the season to make it 7-7. Morris

finished the night 2-for-5.

“I am excited for the kids kept coming back and kept battling. Hunter

got us back in the ball game but unfortunately it just wasn’t meant to

be,” Pawlowski said.

Sean Ray (2-3) was saddled with the loss despite allowing just two base

runners in 1 2/3 innings, both on walks. The second, issued to Zach

Miller with one down in the 10th, prompted the move to Hendrix, who

fanned Matt Smith but then gave up a single to Matt Snyder and Hashman’s

home run to center.

Matt Tracy (4-3) picked up the win in relief, throwing 1 2/3 innings,

issuing one walk, while Brett Huber recorded the final three outs to

pick up his 12th save of the season.

Auburn would bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 10th

but Huber induced a ground out off the bat of Wes Gilmer to end Auburn’s

stay at the tournament.

Ole Miss went up 2-0 in the second on a two-run single by Tim Ferguson

before Auburn answered on Creede Simpson’s double to right that scored

Ryan Jenkins from first.

Ole Miss got the run back in the top of the third when Mike Snyder

singled home Taylor Hashman but this time it was Tony Caldwell who

answered for Auburn as he sent his ninth home run of the year out to

left-center, scoring Justin Fradejas to make it 3-3. Caldwell finished

the night 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and three runs scored.

“We had five errors tonight. It doesn’t matter what the conditions are,

we are a better team than how we played tonight,” Caldwell said.

Ole Miss went up 4-3 in the fourth as Ferguson singled, reached second

on Auburn’s first error of the game, a failed attempt to catch him

stealing second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a Cole

Nelson wild pitch.

Auburn tied it at 4-4 in the fifth, capitalizing on an Ole Miss error as

Caldwell singled and went to third on a two-base throwing error by Ole

Miss right fielder David Phillips and scored on Justin Bryant’s sac fly.

The extra-inning game was Auburn’s second straight, marking the first

time since 1998 that Auburn has played in consecutive extra-inning

games.

Auburn’s First Team All-SEC outfielders Brian Fletcher and Trent Mummey

were both held out of the starting lineup after suffering minor injuries

during the 12-inning win over South Carolina on Thursday.

The start of the game was delayed 1 hour, 55 minutes due to rain.

Auburn baseball fans are invited to attend a NCAA Selection Show Viewing

Party on Mondayviewing party will be from 11 am – 12:30pm CT, with the selection show

airing live at 11:30am on ESPN.

Loco’s will close off a section of the restaurant for the team and fans

and will offer a wing buffet for $9.99 per person.