April 18, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Friday night's baseball game between Auburn and Vanderbilt was suspended in the middle of the seventh with Auburn ahead, 5-3.

The two teams will resume the game 30 minutes after Saturday's regularly scheduled noon game that is airing on CSS is completed.

Down 3-2 heading to the top of the seventh, Auburn took the lead with three runs in the inning, with Matt Hall delivering a two-out, two-RBI single to put Auburn up 4-3. With the rains coming down, David Cunningham doubled with one down and then Kevin Patterson was hit by a pitch. A flyout by Ryan Jenkins moved Cunningham to third before Patterson stole second, putting two runners in scoring position for Hall, who broke his 0-for-11 slump with a single to center. Trent Mummey then singled Hall home, who had stolen second, to give Auburn the two-run advantage.

Auburn took the field for the bottom half of the inning, with Michael Hurst taking his warm-up pitches, before the umpires stopped the game and tarped the field.

Grant Dayton went 6.0 innings in the start for Auburn, allowing three runs on nine hits, striking out three and is in line for the win.

Vanderbilt's Mike Minor went 7.0 innings, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks, striking out nine, including seven straight from the third to fifth inning, but would be on the hook for the loss should the score stay the same.

Patterson staked Auburn to a 2-0 lead when he hit one off the scoreboard in right-center after Cunningham walked with one down in the second inning.

Vanderbilt got a run back on Shea Robin's two-out RBI triple to the wall in left-center in the bottom of the second, scoring Andrew Giobbi and making it 2-1 after two.

Vanderbilt then tied it at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth on Pedro Alvarez' RBI groundout but some good pitching by Dayton limited the damage as the Commodores had loaded the bases on a pair of flair hits and a bunt base hit with none out but he got Alex Feinberg to pop out, Alvarez to ground out and Ryan Flaherty to ground out to limit the damage.

Vanderbilt took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth as Robin's third-hit of the game drove in Giobbi from second, who had doubled with one down.

The two teams will play game two of the series at noon CT on Saturday in a game that will air live on CSS. Taking the ball for Auburn will be Fr. LHP Cory Luckie (4-3, 3.54) while Vanderbilt will counter with R-Fr. RHP Caleb Cotham (5-2, 3.22).