It was more of the same for Auburn Sunday.

The 12th-ranked Tigers struggled again to execute in key moments while No. 8 Vanderbilt drove in six runs with two outs to win 9-6 and complete a three-game sweep.

“In the middle innings is where they absolutely got to us even though we were lined up where we wanted to be in our pitching staff,” AU coach Butch Thompson told the Auburn Network. “At the end of the day in the series, their pitching staff just shined so much more than ours.

“I thought we competed probably the best day of the three today but they still ended up with a bunch of hits and left a bunch of guys on base. I give credit to their lineup for being tough at-bats and their pitching staff was definitely superior.”

Auburn falls to 13-6 overall and 0-3 in the SEC.

The Tigers struggled defensively, committing two errors and a passed ball that led to two unearned runs. Four AU pitchers combined to allow 17 hits, issue five walks and hit two batters.

After scoring four runs in the first two innings, AU had just seven hits, five singles, over the final seven innings including Cooper McMurray’s solo home run in the fifth.

AU starter Joseph Gonzalez allowed three runs, one earned, on eight hits and three walks in 3.1 innings. He left the game with AU leading 4-2 but the bullpen couldn’t maintain the lead.

Tanner Bauman (2-1) took the loss allowing three runs on three hits, two walks and one hit batter in 2.0 innings. Christian Herberholz allowed two runs on two hits and a hit batter in 0.2 innings and Will Cannon one run on four hits in 2.0 innings.

McMurray was 3 of 4 with a run scored and two RBI including an RBI-single in the first and his eighth home run of the season over the centerfield wall.

Javon Hernandez was 3 of 4 with one RBI, Carter Wright 2 of 4 with two runs scored, Chris Stanfield 2 of 4 with one RBI, Copper Weiss 1 of 3 with one RBI and Ike Irish 1 of 5 with one RBI.

Auburn plays South Alabama Tuesday night at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery before hosting Arkansas for a three-game series beginning Thursday night.