After a day off due to winter-like weather conditions in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday, No. 6 Auburn split Sunday’s pair of seven-inning games with No. 8 Kentucky to wrap up its first road series of the season.
The Tigers (20-5, 3-3 SEC) emerged as winners in the series’ second straight one-run game 4-3 to begin the day, before falling 13-3 in the latter game of the doubleheader.
GAME 1
Despite surrendering an early run in the first inning, Auburn starting pitcher Davis Daniel put together one of his best outings thus far in 2018, allowing just the one run and three hits over five innings of work.
The Tigers trailed 1-0 for a majority of the game before rallying with four runs in the top of the seventh, the game’s final inning.
Auburn’s lineup pounced on Kentucky’s Chris Machamer, as five of its first six hitters to the plate in the seventh inning came up with a hit. Second baseman Luke Jarvis initially tied the game with an RBI double to right field, and Will Holland, Brendan Venter and Judd Ward all followed with RBI knocks of their own.
Tiger reliever Calvin Coker’s three-run cushion did not last long as Kentucky center fielder Ben Aklinski responded with a two-run home run in the bottom half of the frame, but the senior was eventually able to secure the win with a strikeout.
“We found a way to win the first game, which is huge on the road, especially the way we’re playing baseball currently,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said.
GAME 2
While the first two games of the series were nail-biters, Kentucky completely outmatched Auburn in game three.
Tigers’ starter Tanner Burns’ day was a short one after Thompson decided to pull the freshman while trailing 3-1 in the third inning.
The Wildcats were dominant from the start, as outfielder Tristan Pompey led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run. From there, Kentucky would score in every inning of the game and total 15 hits.
Kentucky’s 13 runs are also the most Auburn has allowed to an opponent this season.
Auburn struggled to get anything going at the plate and did not record a hit off Wildcat starter Justin Lewis until the fifth inning.
“I thought the second game today, that was the first time I didn’t think our guys competed for an entire ballgame,” Thompson said. “I always try to shoot it as straight as I possibly can.”
The loss was Auburn’s fourth in its last five games.
The Tigers return to action on Tuesday in the annual Capital City Classic against Alabama in Montgomery. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT from Riverwalk Stadium.
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