The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Auburn
Auburn Tips No. 18 Ole Miss in Series Opener
5/6/2005 | Baseball
May 6, 2005
Box Score
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn used a three-run sixth inning to defeat No. 18 (Sports Weekly/ESPN) Ole Miss 4-3 in the opening game of a three-game Southeastern Conference series Friday evening, in front of 2,702 at Plainsman Park.
The loss dropped the Rebels to 34-14 overall, and 12-10 in the SEC, and snapped Ole Miss' win streak at seven games. The Rebels remain one-game out of first place in the SEC Western Division behind Alabama and LSU, as the Tigers moved into a first-place tie after defeating Kentucky 6-5 in Baton Rouge, La.
Auburn improved to 29-19 and 10-12 in the SEC. The Tigers remain a half-game behind Mississippi State, who defeated the Crimson Tide on Friday, for the eighth and final spot to the SEC Tournament.
Trailing 2-1, Clete Thomas started the Auburn sixth with a lead-off double and scored when Josh Bell followed with a single to tie the game at 2-2. After Karl Amonite walked, Jeff Boutwell's sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third. Russell Dixon then hit a fly ball to the warning track in right, allowing Bell to score to make it 3-2. Josh Donaldson then capped the inning with a bloop single to center to plate Amonite.
The Rebels loaded the bases in the top of the seventh. Miles Franklin hit a one-out single, and after John Madden came on in relief of starter Arnold Hughey, Cooper Osteen and Chris Coghlan hit back-to-back base hits to load the bases. However, Madden would coax Stephen Head to ground into an inning-ending double play and preserve the 4-2 lead.
Ole Miss would score a run in the ninth. Zack Cozart and Franklin led-off the inning with back-to-back singles, and a batter later, Cozart scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Coghlan to make it 4-3. With the tying run on second and two outs, Head lined a shot into the gap in left center, however, left fielder Ben Sprague made a running catch near the wall to end the game.
Hughey (5-4) worked 6 1/3 innings to earn the win, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out four.
Mark Holliman (5-2) allowed four runs on six hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings in suffering the loss. He also struck out four.
Michael Nix worked the ninth to record his 12th save of the season.
Mark Wright and Brian Pettway both homered in the game for the Rebels. Wright hit his 11th home run of the year with a solo shot in the second to give Ole Miss a 1-0 lead. Pettway belted his 14th of the season with a solo shot in the sixth to give the Rebels a 2-1 lead.
Josh Donaldson, Tyler Johnstone and Thomas all had two hits each to lead the Tigers at the plate.
Ole Miss out-hit Auburn 11-7 on the evening.
The two teams will meet in game two of this weekend's series Saturday evening at 7 p.m. Junior left-hander Matt Maloney (5-1, 1.83 ERA) is scheduled to start for Ole Miss, opposite Auburn junior right-hander Josh Sullivan (6-4, 3.82 ERA).
Auburn 4, Ole Miss 3 (May 06, 2005 at Auburn, Ala.)----------------------------------------------------------------------Ole Miss............010 001 001 - 3 11 1 (34-14, 12-10 SEC)Auburn..............001 003 00X - 4 7 0 (29-19, 10-12 SEC)----------------------------------------------------------------------Pitchers: Ole Miss - M. Holliman; Baumgardner(7). Auburn - Hughey; Madden(7); Nix(9).Win-Hughey(5-4) Save-Nix(12) Loss-M. Holliman(5-2) T-2:50 A-2702HR UM - B. Pettway (14); Mark Wright (11).Game: UM0506
