HOOVER | For the first 10 innings, Edouard Julien looked like a freshman going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. The 11th was a different matter.

Julien lined a single to centerfield to score pinch-runner Cade Evans from second base and give No. 7 seed Auburn a walk-off 4-3 win over No. 10 seed Kentucky Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the 2018 SEC Tournament at the Hoover Met.

"I have no words for that. It's unbelievable right now,” Julien said. "I was just looking at the ball and Cade Evans going to home plate. It's probably the biggest hit I've ever had in my life, and I'm happy to have done it for Auburn.”

The Tigers, which improve to 38-19, will play No. 2 seed Ole Miss Wednesday afternoon.

“It was a really well played, highly competitive game. Obviously, it was an important game on both sides,” said Auburn assistant coach Steve Smith, who filled in for Butch Thompson during postgame interviews to allow the third-year head coach to hurry back to Auburn for his daughter, Olivia’s, graduation.

Auburn’s 11th-inning rally started with a one-out single by Brett Wright, who moved to second on a walk by Brendan Venter. Evans pinch-ran for Wright before Julien drove a 3-2 pitch into left-center and was mobbed by his teammates after rounding first base.

“He saw something he could drive and got the job done for us. It was big-time. I’m real proud of him,” said sophomore Will Holland.

Cody Greenhill (4-2) earned the win holding Kentucky without a run on three hits over the final 3.0 innings. He struck out two and didn’t issue a walk.

Davis Daniel didn’t factor in the decision but gave Auburn 5.1 strong innings out of the bullpen, holding Kentucky to two runs on six hits. It was a bit of redemption for the sophomore right-hander who was blasted by Arkansas for seven runs in 3.1 innings in last year’s tournament.

Daniel left after allowing a leadoff double in the ninth. After retiring the next two batters, Greenhill gave up a two-out, two-strike RBI single to Kole Cottam to tie the game at 3-3 and send it to extra innings.

Cottam got the scoring started with a home run in the first inning but Holland answered with a leadoff solo home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the inning. He has six leadoff extra-base hits in the last nine games.

Auburn added two more runs with two outs in the third on an RBI single by Steven Williams, who came around to score on a double by Wright.

Wright, Jay Estes and Josh Anthony had two hits apiece for Auburn.

Auburn starter Jack Owen allowed a run in 2.2 innings. He struggled with his control, walking three in the third before turning it over to Daniel.

Kentucky reliever Sean Hjelle was masterful holding Auburn without a run on four hits in 7.1 innings. He struck out since and didn’t issue a walk, but didn’t return for the 11th after throwing 118 pitches. The junior right-hander threw 123 pitches in a loss at Vanderbilt last Thursday.

“We couldn’t ever get to him. He was that good,” Smith said.

Auburn will play Ole Miss at approximately 1 p.m. CT as the SEC Tournament shifts to a double-elimination round for the next three days. The Rebels swept the Tigers in Oxford two weeks ago.

Smith said Tanner Burns will start Wednesday and Casey Mize will be available on Thursday.