AU vs. Bama - SEC Tournament Game 1

[OldNewby 27]

Bama played good baseball. Strong pitching and defense held us in check. I tip my cap.

Beat Gamecocks!

[WinCrimson 61]

6 straight wins for Bama

In the SEC Tourney? I guess the loses in between don't count, which would be par for the course as Bammers can't count anyway.

No - last 5 regular season games to make the SECT and today's win.

[TitanTiger 20,510]

I think Jay Tate gives a pretty dead-on assessment:

AU Baseball: What Went Wrong Today?

Hey everyone. So you were really up on the Tigers after they won the Western Division and pounded Ole Miss into pieces last weekend.

Now you're looking at that same team, fresh off a 7-1 loss to Alabama in the SEC Tournament, and you're thinking: What just happened?

Baseball just happened.

It's the least predictable major sport. A great day from an opposing pitcher means you have almost no shot. That's what Auburn experienced today.

KEY ELEMENTS:

Alabama starter Jimmy Nelson was really good today. That was his third consecutive complete-game win. He knew even Auburn, the league's most homer-prone team, would struggle to bop the ball out of spacious Regions Park. So he threw good strikes and dared the Tigers to hit it deep. They didn't.

Auburn starter Cory Luckie was not as good as Nelson.

Auburn's relievers pitched poorly for the most part.

Alabama played excellent defense ... particularly at first base.

Auburn played imperfect defense. An error at second base early in the game created drama that shouldn't have existed.

And that, HOTTIES, comprises every known reason for the Tigers' struggles.

Auburn plays South Carolina tomorrow morning in an elimination game. The Gamecocks are better than Alabama, but the Tigers will be throwing de facto ace Grant Dayton against them.

...especially the bolded parts. Regions Park does not play to our strengths.

[TigerTaz 109]

I think Jay Tate gives a pretty dead-on assessment:

AU Baseball: What Went Wrong Today?

Hey everyone. So you were really up on the Tigers after they won the Western Division and pounded Ole Miss into pieces last weekend.

Now you're looking at that same team, fresh off a 7-1 loss to Alabama in the SEC Tournament, and you're thinking: What just happened?

Baseball just happened.

It's the least predictable major sport. A great day from an opposing pitcher means you have almost no shot. That's what Auburn experienced today.

KEY ELEMENTS:

Alabama starter Jimmy Nelson was really good today. That was his third consecutive complete-game win. He knew even Auburn, the league's most homer-prone team, would struggle to bop the ball out of spacious Regions Park. So he threw good strikes and dared the Tigers to hit it deep. They didn't.

Auburn starter Cory Luckie was not as good as Nelson.

Auburn's relievers pitched poorly for the most part.

Alabama played excellent defense ... particularly at first base.

Auburn played imperfect defense. An error at second base early in the game created drama that shouldn't have existed.

And that, HOTTIES, comprises every known reason for the Tigers' struggles.

Auburn plays South Carolina tomorrow morning in an elimination game. The Gamecocks are better than Alabama, but the Tigers will be throwing de facto ace Grant Dayton against them.

...especially the bolded parts. Regions Park does not play to our strengths.

I like our chances tomorrow with Dayton starting and Hubbard in relief. I don't see the bats staying down 2 days in a row. We may not hit as many homers in this park but we can darn sure get base hits!!