Auburn defeats Virginia Military Institute in 4-game sweep over weekend
No. 3 Mike Bianucci: makes contact with the pitch. Bianucci leads the team in slugging percentage and tied for second in home runs with two. JD Schein / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
The Auburn baseball team concluded a strong third week of the season by sweeping the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in a four-game set last weekend.
The Tigers ran their record to 10-4, while Virginia Military Institute fell to 4-7.
Auburn put a six spot in the board in its first at bat Thursday night and coasted to a 9-3 win in the opening game of the series.
Luke Greinke doubled, and Justin Hargett walked to start the first inning.
VMI right fielder Brian Sandridge then misplayed a ball off the bat of Mike Bianucci, allowing Greinke to score.
Following another walk, Joseph Sanders broke the game open with a three-run double.
A Kevin Patterson single and Matt Hall RBI-groundout made it 6-0 after one.
That was plenty of support for AU starter Grant Dayton, who was making his first collegiate start. Dayton struck out eight in six innings to preserve his first win.
The only run he allowed came in the sixth, when Mike Roberts blasted a pitch to center that eluded outfielders long enough for him to score for an inside-the-park homer.
Down 4-1 after four, VMI pushed three runs across the plate off of Tiger starter Bradley Hendrix in the top of the fifth to tie the game.
With two on, VMI’s Shane Geisslinger singled to score a run and to put runners on the corners.
Geisslinger and Sam Roberts then executed a double-steal to add another run, before a Mike Roberts single made it 4-4.
Auburn tried a double-steal of its own in the seventh. With two out, the Tigers had Bianucci on third and Hunter Morris on first.
While Morris was trying to avoid the tag, Bianucci was able to score from third before Morris was finally tagged out, giving Auburn the lead once again.
Auburn pinch hitter Ben Jones singled home a run in the eighth to give his team an insurance run, and Bryan Woodall struck out two in the ninth to earn the save, as Auburn held on for a 6-4 victory.
Evan Crawford, who pitched two scoreless innings, picked up the win, and Trey Barham went seven innings in a losing effort for VMI.
Hargett, Morris and Sanders each had two hits in the game.
Game three of the series was all Auburn all the time. The Tigers scored runs in each of the first five innings en route to a 10-1 thumping of the Keydets.
No. 18 Joseph Sanders: keeps his eye on the pitcher while leading off from third base. Sanders is tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs. JD Schein / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Cory Luckie pitched a gem for Auburn on the chilly Saturday, lasting the entire game and surrendering just one run on eight hits. The freshman left-hander fanned seven batters and moved to 2-1 on the season.
“It’s hard to perform on a cold day,” Luckie said. “So I went out early and got loose and really focused which helped.
Head coach Tom Slater was understandably impressed with Luckie’s performance.
“He was phenomenal today,” Slater said. “He’s fun to watch pitch.”
Slater said getting ahead at the start was important to his team’s success Saturday.
“We set the tone early, and it helped us to keep going,” Slater said. “We saw a lot of pitches in the first inning and were able to get good lead.”
Seven different players had an RBI for Auburn, including Trent Mummey, who homered to right in the fifth for his first home run of the year.
The Tigers finished off their sweep of VMI with a 6-4 win.
VMI’s Tanner Biagini and Jordan Ballard connected for home runs off Auburn starter Scott Shuman in the second, and the Keydets led 3-0 in the bottom of the inning.
After scoring twice in the second, the Tigers tied the game on a Morris homer down the right field line in the third.
No. 24 David Cunningham: redshirt freshman, rounds the bases and tags home plate during this weekend’s sweep of VMI. The Tigers play at Florida this weekend. JD Shein / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
David Cunningham doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth, then tripled and scored on a Ryan Jenkins double in the eighth to put Auburn up 6-3. Cunningham was playing for the injured Hargett, who sprained his ankle Saturday.
“It’s unfortunate for Hargett, but it’s a time for me to step up and make plays,” Cunningham said. “It’s a blast for me to play and not watch.”
Shuman (2-0) pitched a scoreless fifth and let Auburn’s bullpen take over.
Woodall gave up two runs after getting two quick outs but struck out the last batter looking to get his second save of the series and third of the year.
Auburn begins SEC play tomorrow, when they travel to Gainesville, Fla., for a three-game series with the Florida Gators.
