Clutch hits elude AU in loss at Vandy

The clutch hit eluded Auburn Friday night.

The 21st-ranked Tigers struck out 13 times and where just 1 of 10 with runners in scoring position as No. 4 Vanderbilt won 5-2 at Hawkins Field to take the series.

The Commodores will go for the sweep Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.

“They got the big hit tonight and we didn’t,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson told the Auburn Network. “All in all, I thought we played really good defense.”

Auburn loaded the bases in the eighth and ninth innings with one out but couldn’t push across a run. Rankin Woley ended the eighth grounding into a 6-4-3 double play. Hugh Fisher struck out Ryan Bliss and retired Edouard Julien in the ninth to close out the game for his third save of the season.

Auburn falls to 27-16 overall and 10-10 in the SEC while Vanderbilt improves to 33-9 and 14-6.

VU starter Kumar Rocker (5-4) dominated AU’s lineup for a career-high 7.0 innings to earn the win. The freshman right-hander allowed two runs on six hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts.

The Commodores jumped on AU starter Richard Fitts (3-3) for four runs in the first including a two-out, three-run home run by Stephen Scott. AU’s bullpen held VU to just one run over the final 5.2 innings.

Blake Schilleci threw 3.2 scoreless innings, Peyton Glavine allowed a run without recording an out, Will Morrison threw 1.2 scoreless innings and Garrett Wade recorded the final out in the eighth.

“That’s the difference in the game, Scott’s home run in the first,” Thompson said. “We shoved the ball in the strike zone more. Schilleci and Morrison did a good job just to hold us in there and give us a chance.”

AU scored a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Matt Scheffler and another in the fifth as Steven Williams scored from third base on a balk by Rocker.

Saturday’s finale will be on SECN+.