On Saturday afternoon, Auburn (18-17, 2-13) was swept by Kentucky (30-5, 14-1), losing the series finale 13-8. The Tigers have lost six straight games and have yet to win a series in conference play. Saturday's game seemed bound to end the nightmare of the recent week, but like any bad dream, it always comes back when least expected.
"Our whole challenge this first half is not being able to do enough required on the mound to be acceptable...," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. "I thought the energy was great again today, but those things just mount on us."
Auburn started senior pitcher Tanner Bauman Saturday afternoon and he delivered great results. He threw two perfect innings before allowing the first hit with two outs in the third inning. He stranded runners on the corners in the fourth and ultimately allowed just one earned run over four innings of work.
"Bauman, it's been a tough first half for him and he absolutely did an amazing job," Thompson said.
A strong outing from an Auburn pitcher was a welcomed sign that maybe the Tigers were turning the page from their recent struggles. Auburn rewarded Bauman by scoring two runs in the second and five runs in the third jumping out to a 7-0 lead through three innings. The big lead, however, only hung around for one more frame.
Kentucky scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning thanks to a three-run home run. Despite that, Auburn still held a four-run lead heading into the sixth inning. But bad dreams do come back and the top of the sixth inning proved it. Kentucky scored six runs in the sixth off of a bases-loaded double, a two-run home run, and a solo home run. The Wildcats added insurance in the top of the eighth inning with a three-run home run.
While the pitching struggled, Auburn's bats also went quiet after the third inning. The Tigers managed just two hits the rest of the game. Auburn tried to find a spark in the seventh inning by pinch-hitting catcher Ike Irish who has been battling through an injury. Irish, however, grounded into a double play.
The Tigers had another chance to plate runs in the eighth inning after Kentucky walked the bases loaded with one out. Auburn was unable to take advantage. The Tigers had two straight flyouts with the bases loaded to end the inning. Third basemen Eric Guevara hit a solo home run in the ninth, but it was too little too late.
So far, it has been a disappointing season for the Tigers, but plenty of games remain. Auburn will continue to battle looking to rid themselves of the nightmare this season has been to this point on Tuesday night at home against Georgia Tech. The game will air on the SEC Network and the Auburn Sports Network. The first pitch is set for 6:00 PM.
