No. 13 Auburn Drops SEC Tournament Opener, 7-1, To Alabama

[AUSportTalk 4]

No. 13 Auburn was held to a season-low five hits and

surrendered seven unanswered runs in a 7-1 loss to Alabama in the

opening game of the 2010 SEC Tournament at Regions Park. The loss drops

Auburn into the losers bracket where it will face the loser of the South

Carolina/Ole Miss game at 9:30am CT on Thursday.

Jimmy Nelson (8-2) took the win for Alabama (35-21), throwing a complete

game and allowing just the one run on five hits without issuing a walk,

striking out six.

“We couldn’t really get anything going against (Nelson),” Auburn Head

Coach John Pawlowski said. “You have to tip your hat to him. Our kids

were ready to play…Cory Luckie did a great job for us and he got us into

the seventh inning and gave us a chance. Unfortunately, we didn’t put

anything together.”

Cory Luckie (6-4) took the loss for Auburn (39-18) despite allowing just

three runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with six strike outs

in 6 2/3 innings.

“You can’t expect our guys to hit 14 home runs every game. We are going

to have some bad games, but we are going to put it behind us and be

ready for tomorrow,” Luckie said.

Auburn’s bullpen gave up four runs on 2 1/3 innings, allowing four hits

and two walks and also hitting a batter.

Luckie retired the first five hitters he faced before giving up

back-to-back singles with two outs in the second. The southpaw responded

to the two hits by striking out Andrew Miller (1-for-4, 2 RBI) to end

the second, his fourth strike out of the day in just two innings.

The top home run hitting team in the conference, Auburn used small ball

to get its only run of the game. Dan Gamache (1-for-3, R) led off the

bottom of the third with a double off the top of the wall in center,

went to third on a Justin Hargett (1-for-2) sac bunt and scored on a

Justin Fradejas (0-for-2, RBI) squeeze bunt. The squeeze was Auburn’s

league-leading 55th sacrifice bunt of the year.

Alabama loaded the bases in the fourth on a two walks and an error and

capitalized with a two-run single off the bat of Miller to go up 2-1.

Luckie closed out the inning by striking out Brock Bennett (2-for-4, 2B,

2 R) to keep it a one-run game going to the bottom of the fourth.

Alabama used a pair of extra-base hits to go up 3-1 in the seventh and

knock Luckie from the game. A Bennett double to left preceded a Taylor

Dugas (2-for-4, 3B, R, RBI) triple to the wall in right, prompting a

move to Bradley Hendrix, who got a pop-up to center to end the top of

the seventh.

Alabama went up 4-1 off of doubles by Clay Jones (1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R)

and Jake Smith (2-for-5, RBI) in the top of the eighth, ending Hendrix’

day as Sean Ray was summoned to the bullpen. Ray ended the inning by

striking out Jon Kelton (1-for-3), the pitching staff’s ninth punch out

of the day.

Alabama put the game out of reach with a three-run top of the ninth,

scoring on a bases loaded walk and a two-run single from David Kindred

(1-for-5, 2 RBI) off of Zach Blatt.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Cory wasn't lucky today.

[WaYnE4AU 0]

We stunk it up today.  To bammer of all teams.....