Tigers Pick Up 6-2 Win Over South Alabama

[AUSportTalk 4]

Justin Fradejas went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI,

extending his hitting streak to 11 games, as Auburn claimed a third

straight win with a 6-2 victory over South Alabama on Wednesday night at

Plainsman Park. The win improved Auburn’s record to 20-10 while South

Alabama dropped to 22-11.

“We used five different pitchers and all five went out there and threw

strikes and gave us a chance to play solid defense,” Auburn Head Coach

John Pawlowski said. “We scored 22 runs last night but then we had to

manufacture runs tonight to score six.”

Fradejas, who was hitting ninth in the lineup, hit a second-inning

sacrifice fly to put Auburn up 2-0, doubled in the fourth, laid a

successful suicide squeeze down in the sixth to put Auburn up 5-2 and

singled and scored in the ninth for the final margin of victory.

“Today was a good for momentum to help us going into the weekend,”

Fradejas said. “South Alabama is a good team.”

Cory Luckie (2-2) earned the win in the designated start as both teams

used a parade of pitchers on the night. Luckie threw two scoreless

innings, allowing two hits with a strike out.

“My last two outings have been really tough on me. I am grateful that

Coach Pawlowski and Coach Foxhall gave me the chance to get out there

and get my confidence back,” Luckie said.

Michael Hurst earned his first career save with two scoreless innings in

which he struck out three. Dating back to the Capital City Classic, he

has now allowed just one earned run in his last three appearances,

covering 7 1/3 innings.

“Our defense is playing really well and I am just letting them work

behind me,” Hurst said. “I am just trying to do whatever I can to help

the team win. I thought tonight we played a great game offensively,

defensively, pitching – all around. It gives us a lot of confidence

going into the weekend.”

South Alabama starter Lance Brown (1-2) was tagged with the loss as he

allowed three second-inning runs. He allowed one hit, walked two and hit

Justin Bryant on the left hand during his second-inning plate

appearance. Bryant will have X-rays on the hand in the morning to

determine the severity of the injury.

Creede Simpson’s bases-loaded walk in the second scored the first run of

the game and knocked Lance Brown out of the game. Fradejas greeted Chris

Brown with a sac fly to center to score Bryant and then Justin Hargett

collected a RBI single, the first of two hits for Auburn’s leadoff man,

to make it 3-0 Auburn after two.

South Alabama scored a run off of Slade Smith in the top of the third on

a Jake Overstreet RBI groundout and then put a run on the board off of

Stephen Kohlscheen in the fifth on an Adam Heisler home run to make it

3-2.

Tony Caldwell’s RBI single in the fifth scored Brian Fletcher to put

Auburn ahead 4-2 and then Fradejas laid down the bunt on the squeeze

play, scoring Creede Simpson after he hit a triple to right-center.

Hunter Morris’ eighth-inning sac fly scored Fradejas to close out the

scoring.

Auburn will play host to No. 3 LSU this weekend. Game times are set for

7pm CT on Friday, 2pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday. Friday’s game will

air live on CSS and Saturday’s game will air live on SportsSouth.

[Turtle_Tiger 13]

Looking good in the Middle if the Week. LSU is going to be tough.

[Jackson-Sullivan 0]

South is a tough team year in, year out, and has always given us fits.  Solid win!  WDE!!!