Auburn 12-4, Maine 3-3: Tigers breeze to doubleheader sweep

The scoring started right away Saturday afternoon with Maine homering in the top of the first off righty sophomore starter Rocky McCord to take the lead early before Auburn plated Jackson Burgreen, Dan Gelevenyak and Ryan Tella in their turn. The top of Auburn's order was relentless against the Black Bear pitching staff and the America East side were forced to use five pitchers to contain Auburn to twelve runs. McCord settled down and pitched well over the next three innings.

Hot starting freshman Burgreen (2-6, 3 R), Glevenyak (2-3, 4 R), Tella (2-4, 3 RBI) and Garrett Cooper (2-4, HR) sat in the top four spots and consistently worked deep counts against Maine pitchers, often hammering the fifth, sixth and seventh pitches of their at-bats, like Cooper's two-run homer in the fifth on the eighth pitch he saw. Tella hit a sac fly to center in the fourth after getting eleven pitches, fouling off five of those. Auburn hitters drew ten walks to compliment their twelve hits.

McCord made it 4 innings allowing one run on 90 pitches before being pulled for Justin Camp. Camp worked the fifth through eighth innings allowing one earned run and getting the win. Freshman Matt Schultz faced three batters in the ninth and closed out the win. Scott Heath took the loss for Maine before suiting up in right and batting clean up in the second game.

Game Two starter Michael O'Neal three four perfect innings around a one-run, three-hit third and Auburn, despite falling behind early for the third straight game, picked up a pitching-inspired 4-3 victory. O'Neal was forced out in the sixth with two on and two in after a very efficient 54 pitch outing

Burgreen continued to justify his spot at leadoff getting a single and a walk and scoring the go-ahead run in the three run bottom of the third. Tella's hot hand from the first game continued and he had his fourth and fifth RBI of the day on a two run triple.

Auburn's bullpen rolled out Jay Wade, Conner Kendrick and Terrance Dedrick for the final 3.1 innings and allowed two hits in twelve at-bats with five strikeouts. Dedrick picked up the save with a two K ninth. The Tiger staff didn't allow a walk in the second game, and only McCord's two walks for the day, compared to fifteen on the day for Maine pitchers.

Coach Pawlowski said after the game that either Dillon Ortman or Trey Wingnenter would probably be his starter tomorrow at 11 against Maine's catcher/pitcher Mike Connolly