The Auburn Tigers baseball team closed off their series against the No. 14 South Carolina Gamecocks Sunday at Plainsman Park with a refreshing 10-6 victory after two consecutive losses to start the series.
Auburn's win ended South Carolina's 13-game winning streak, making Auburn's record 17-7 overall and 4-2 against SEC competition, and leaving the Gamecocks with an overall record of 19-5 and 5-1 in the SEC. "It's tough to drop two games to start a series," said junior first-baseman
Hunter Morris, "especially when we had all the opportunities."
The beginning of the series was marked with an 11-5 loss Friday that ended a seven game winning streak for the Tigers. On Saturday, the Gamecocks shut Auburn out, 2-0. Friday's loss, in which South Carolina made no errors compared to the Tiger's three, was marked by the Gamecocks securing a comfortable lead early, scoring eight runs in the first two innings, against Auburn's four.
Saturday's game was disappointing for the Tigers, who left 12 runners on base and scored 11 hits without a single run. Auburn's Cole Nelson pitched effectively for 7 2/3 innings, only allowing four hits, but South Carolina pitcher Sam Dyson threw nine strikeouts, keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard.
The final game was a scene of redemption for Auburn, who scored 10 runs from nine hits and only one error, while the Gamecocks scored six runs from 12 hits and one error. Auburn struck early, taking the lead with three runs in the first inning and one in the second. South Carolina answered with three runs in the third, with an RBI from Jackie Bradley, Jr. and a double from Parker Bangs that brought in two
more runs.
The Tigers scored three more in the fourth, followed by another three in the sixth, all unanswered by the Gamecocks, whose effort was too little too late, scoring two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. "Everybody could breathe a sigh of relief since we were up by some runs early," said head coach John Pawlowski.
Pitcher Grant Dayton helped lead the Tigers to a win, causing a total of 14 outs from fly balls. "Grant Dayton did a good job going out and throwing strikes for us," said Morris. In the eighth inning, Dayton was relieved by Zach Blatt, receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd for his exceptional performance.
"My arm felt great, but I understand a pitch change," Dayton said. Hitting was not a problem for the Tigers Sunday either, with Brian Fletcher, Creede Simpson, Justin Bryant and Justin Hargett all credited with two RBIs. "We came out and hit and pitched really well," said junior right-fielder Tony
Caldwell. "We executed all the little things."
Auburn faces Troy University away on March 31, before going to Tuscaloosa for a three-game series against the University of Alabama beginning April 2.
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