March 18, 2008

TROY, Ala. -
TOP OF THE NINTH:
We are going to the top of the ninth tied at 4-4. The four Troy runners that scored - two walks and two reached on errors. Troy has just four hits on the night. Check back later for a complete update.

END OF THE SIXTH:
Still 3-1 Auburn, but there were some anxious moments in the bottom half of the inning for Auburn as Grant Dayton walked the bases loaded but found his way out of it when he coaxed a grounder back to him to end the inning. Luke Greinke left with a line of 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 UER, 2 BB, 2 K, retiring the final eight hitters he faced.

END OF THE THIRD:
Score is still 3-1 Auburn heading to the top of the fourth. For Luke Greinke, of the nine outs he has recorded, six have been groundouts, which includes a pair of double-plays.

MIDDLE OF THE SECOND:
After allowing Troy to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first, Auburn put two more on the board in the top of the second to take a 3-1 lead. The damage came in Matt Hall's at-bat, as he dropped down a bunt and legged out a single that turned into a circus as there were two throwing errors on the play. Unfortunately in the bottom of the first Hall was charged with his first error of the year. Looked from the press box that he had to look back into the sun on the play as the ball hit his glove. In the bottom of the second, 3-1 Auburn.

MIDDLE OF THE FIRST:
Early update tonight as Trent Mummey hit a leadoff homer to give Auburn the early 1-0 lead. According to those in the press box, it is just the second home run to clear the 30-foot-high wall in right. Auburn loaded the bases in the inning with two outs but couldn't add to the early lead. Going to the bottom of the first, Auburn leads 1-0.

PREGAME - 5 PM
Welcome to Troy. Much different field here at Troy as instead of grass and dirt, Riddle-Pace Field now has AstroPlay, which is very similar to the middle practice field for the Auburn football team. The weirdest part might be the infield being made of AstroPlay as well, with the only dirt being on the mound and a normal warning track.

Riddle-Pace has also undergone $5-million in renovations, which include a new scoreboard in right, new batting cages and new coaches offices and Troy lockerroom and team area. The wall in right is similar to Auburn's left-field wall, but is just 310 feet from home plate. It too takes a sharp angle in right-center, dropping back to 350 feet and the wall dropping from 34 feet to 10 feet on an angle. Center is 400, left-center is 375 and left is 340. From center to left, the chain-link fence is still in us.

The team got here just before 4:00 and while the team was stretching, Coach Slater did a pregame interview with WSFA's Derek Steyer. Look for that on the 6 pm news tonight as well as highlights after the game as he is sticking around for the game.

As for today's lineup:
Mummey...CF
Hargett...2B
Bianucci...LF (first start in left this season after starting there 38 times last season)
Morris...1B
Sanders...3B
Patterson...RF (third start of the season, first in the OF)
Fletcher...DH
Caldwell...C
Hall...SS
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Greinke...P

by Dan Froehlich, Auburn Media Relations