AU baseball stays hot, beats Tennessee

By Collin Mickle

Published: March 28, 2008

Don’t look now, but the Auburn baseball team suddenly has momentum.

Friday’s 12-6 win against Tennessee propelled the Tigers into a three-way tie for first place in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division.

Not bad for a team that started its SEC schedule 0-3 and depends on eight freshmen in key situations.

Since being swept by Florida in its SEC-opening series, AU is 6-1, including a 3-1 mark in the SEC. The Tigers (17-9, 3-4 SEC) are currently tied with Alabama and Ole Miss for first place in the SEC West.

“Every day we get more and more confident,” freshman first baseman Hunter Morris said. “Every day we have at least six or seven freshmen on the field, and with every game we gain a lot more experience.

“It’s going to be a fun thing to watch as we get to play a lot more games this season.”

Friday, the Tigers looked plenty confident. AU scored eight runs in the first four innings off Tennessee starter Steve Crnkovich (4-2).

“Our kids really had a nice approach to their starter,” AU head coach Tom Slater said. “We had a nice gameplan going in. I think our kids had a really great approach.”

Tennessee bounced back in the middle innings. Shawn Griffin hit a two-run home run in the fourth and the Vols scored three more runs in the sixth to cut AU’s lead to 8-6.

In the eighth, UT’s Jarred Frazier reached on an error, then moved to third on a Shawn Griffin single. With runners on the corners and one out, UT head coach Todd Raleigh wanted to avoid a double play.

Guessing correctly that Auburn reliever Bryan Woodall would throw a 1-2 breaking ball to Danny Lima, Raleigh told Griffin — who represented the tying run — to steal second.

But Lima swung and missed at the pitch, and Auburn’s Ryan Jenkins threw Griffin out at second to end the inning.

“That was pretty nice,” Woodall said. “He chased the slider away and Jenkins made a perfect throw to second base to get the guy.

“It was a good play all around.”

Auburn (17-9, 3-4) put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Woodall, a former Central standout, picked up his SEC-leading seventh save, striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning.

The series continues at 4 p.m. today. Auburn lefty Cory Luckie (3-2, 2.55) will start against UT lefty Bryan Morgado (3-2, 1.82 ERA).

“We’ll be ready tomorrow,” Raleigh said. “I don’t think there’s any question we’ll play a better game than we did today.”

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