By Caleb Connelley
The No. 25-Auburn Tigers picked up another major Conference series win, this time on the road at Kentucky. The series win marked their eighth consecutive series victory dating back to the end of the 2024 season.
GAME ONE: Auburn 8, Kentucky 7
Auburn opened the series with a thrilling 8-7 victory over Kentucky in Lexington at Proud Park. The Tigers jumped ahead early, taking advantage with clutch hitting and defensive miscues by the Wildcats. Kentucky fought back, erasing a multi-run deficit to tie the game 6-6 by the sixth inning. In the ninth, Auburn trailed 7-6, Cooper McMurray started the rally with a single through the left side. Bristol Carter came in to pinch-run and stole second base and scored to tie the game on Chase Fralick's two-out double to left field. Ike Irish hit a pop-up and shortstop Tyler Bell for the Wildcats dropped it, allowing the go-ahead run to score, giving Auburn the lead 8-7. After taking the lead, Ryan Hetzler came in to close out the game, as the Tigers took game one from the Wildcats.
GAME TWO: Auburn 8, Kentucky 7 (11 Innings)
For the second straight night, Auburn and Kentucky battled it out in a tightly contested game, but once again, the Tigers came out on top in extra innings. The Wildcats seemed poised to even the series, taking a late lead in the eighth inning. However, Auburn responded in the ninth, forcing extra frames. In the 11th inning, Auburn capitalized on a leadoff walk and a clutch RBI single from Lucas Steele to claim the 8-7 win. Despite Kentucky's strong offensive performance, Auburn's resilience and timely hitting allowed them to clinch the series.
GAME THREE: Kentucky 6, Auburn 0
Kentucky salvaged the series with a 6-0 dominant shutout victory in the finale. The Wildcats set the tone early, exploding for five runs in the first inning behind a mix of aggressive baserunning and Auburn's pitching struggles. Kentucky's starter, Ryan Black, delivered a stellar performance, holding Auburn's high-powered offense to just four hits across seven shutout innings. Auburn never found its rhythm at the plate, and Kentucky's bullpen closed the door to secure the much-needed win. Despite the loss, Auburn still took the series, marking their eighth consecutive series victory.
After Auburn took the series, it improved their overall record to 19-5, and their SEC mark to 4-2. Auburn also beat South Alabama 13-5 on Tuesday night at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, before travelling to Athens for another tough SEC Series against the Georgia Bulldogs.
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