AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn fell behind early and couldn't make up the difference in a 9-1 loss to No. 8 Kentucky Friday night at Plainsman Park.
The Tigers (18-16, 2-12 SEC) threatened out of the gate but had a runner thrown out at the plate in the first, and Kentucky (29-5, 13-1 SEC) hit three homers in its next two at-bats to jump out to a 4-0 lead through three.
"We're fighting to try to get on the board or get a lead," head coach Butch Thompson said. "I think it was giving them up and not punching back or getting our damage. We had a chance where we worked hard and got some guys on base, but never blew that gap or left the yard like our opponents have these last four games."
Two batters into the game, Cooper McMurray hit a double off the wall in center and Gavin Miller followed with a single to center. However, McMurray had to hesitate to see the ball down and was thrown out at the plate.
Kentucky answered the next half inning with a solo homer to center to take a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats added to their advantage with back-to-back solo homers to start the third before extending it with back-to-back, two-out doubles later in the frame to make it 4-0.
Another solo homer started the fourth inning, and the Wildcats pushed their lead to 6-0 on a one-out single that followed a hit batter and wild pitch.
Auburn loaded the bases in the sixth on two hit batters and a walk and managed a run on a sacrifice fly to center from Christian Hall, his second RBI in as many games in the series.
Conner McBride entered in relief in the fifth and retired the first six batters he faced. A leadoff single in the seventh ended the streak, but McBride stranded runners on the corners to get out of the inning unscathed.
After McBride had worked 4.0 scoreless with a career-high six strikeouts, Kentucky added an insurance run with a solo homer to start the ninth. The Wildcats capped off the scoring in the contest on a two-out walk and two-run homer from Ryan Nicholson, his second of the game.
McMurray and Miller collected two hits apiece to account for four of Auburn's six in the contest.
The series finale between the two teams is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.
Tigers drop middle game vs. No. 8 Kentucky
