NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Auburn scored eight runs in the first three innings and used a complete game performance by left-hander Cory Luckie on the mound to defeat Vanderbilt 12-2 Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Field.
The Tigers evened the series and improved to 24-12 overall and 8-6 in Southeastern Conference play, while the Commodores fell to 28-9 overall and 7-7 in league action.
Luckie (4-2) scattered five hits over nine innings and allowed two runs with three strikeouts and two walks in the win.
Commodore starter Jack Armstrong (5-1) was chased in the third inning, allowing eight runs, five earned, on seven hits in 2.1 innings with two strikeouts and three walks. It was the first loss of his collegiate career.
“Jack was throwing a lot of first pitch fastballs and they were in areas where they could be hit and Auburn is a good fastball hitting team,” said Corbin. “I don’t think he was giving them much to think about really, his breaking ball wasn’t a factor and his changeup he threw to Mummey was left out on the plate.”
The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first pounding four hits including a homer by Trent Mummey. Casey McElroy had a sacrifice fly RBI and Tony Caldwell added a RBI single to account for the other two runs.
Brian Fletcher’s three-run homer in the second extended the lead to 6-0. Justin Fradejas walked and stole second with two outs. Mummey reached on a fielding error by shortstop Brian Harris and Fletcher homered to left-center, his 11th homer of the season.
The Tigers continued to score, adding two runs in the third on a two-out single to right by Fradejas.
Hargett’s two-out RBI single in the fifth extended the lead to 9-0. Dan Gamache doubled to center and scored on the single to left-center.
Fletcher’s second homer of the day, a solo shot to left-center, pushed the lead to double digits.
VU broke up the shutout bid in the fifth when Curt Casali walked and moved to third on a two-out double down the left field line by Joe Loftus. Anthony Gomez singled Casali home and Brian Harris added an infield single to plate Loftus to make it 10-2.
The Tigers plated two more runs in the ninth with Mummey coming through with a RBI single that plated one of the runs, while the other came in on a throwing error.
Fletcher led the Tigers with a 3-for-6 day with four RBI, while Fradejas, Mummey, McElroy, Gamache and Hargett each had two hits to lead the 16-hit attack.
Chase Reid came on in relief of Armstrong in the third and threw 5.2 innings of relief. He allowed two runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and a walk.
“I thought Chase came in and did a nice job,” said Corbin. “He came in and kept the game where it was, and certainly in the college game an 8-0 lead after four innings is something you can came back from.”
The Commodores and Tigers will play the final game of three game set tomorrow at 1 p.m. Junior right-hander Taylor Hill (3-3, 3.51) will take the mound for VU, while Auburn will counter with junior southpaw Grant Dayton (4-1, 5.18 ERA).
Photo by Jimmy Jones
