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Saturday, Mar. 20, 2010

Auburn ends losing streak to Georgia

ATHENS — It’s safe to say Auburn was tired of losing to Georgia.

The Tigers went to Athens on Friday seeking to end an eight-game losing streak at the hands of the rival Bulldogs. And they took out the frustrations of the streak, crushing the Bulldogs 20-3.

Auburn racked up 22 hits, scoring in all but two innings from a foundation laid by well-placed singles. Two home runs apiece by Hunter Morris and Justin Bryant provided the fireworks.

“Just to see the atmosphere of the game, and how we came through was big,” Bryant said. “It was huge.”

Georgia head coach Dave Perno was forced to use three different pitchers, but there was no slowing the Auburn power surge. The Tigers entered the game having hit 17 home runs in their previous eight games. The surge continued at Foley Field.

The Tigers (12-5, 1-0) added four more to the list at Georgia’s expense.

“The score, kind of irrelevant,” Georgia head coach Dave Perno said. “It’s a stat-buster, but if we’re worried about our stats we’re in trouble from the get-go.”

A home run by Bulldogs right fielder Peter Verdin put Georgia on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning.

Georgia (8-10, 0-1) did not maintain the lead long, encountering the Tigers’ surge for the rest of the game.

After pitching a seamless first inning, Bulldogs starter Michael Palazzone gave up three runs in the top of the second. Brian Fletcher and Casey McElroy scored on searing shot up the middle by Dan Gamache, who later scored. A bases loaded pop out saved Palazzone and the Bulldogs for the time being.

Georgia answered with Colby May home run to right field, making the score 3-2.

But it didn’t take long for Tigers’ Fletcher and McElroy to find home plate again. Auburn added two runs in the third, Fletcher scoring on a sacrifice fly and McElroy on an RBI single by Justin Bryant.

Palazzone, with his season ERA ballooned to 9.32, exited early in the third.

“He’s going to have to grow up and toughen up,” Perno said of his sophomore starting pitcher. “Make some adjustments. I do know that.”

Palazzone struggled while his counterpart, Cory Luckie, settled down after giving up the two shot home runs. He did not allow another run, pitching seven strong innings.

“It’s very satisfying and really encouraging,” Luckie said. “And it doesn’t hurt when your guys score 20 runs.”

Added Auburn head coach John Pawlowski, “I thought the difference for us in gaining some momentum early was Cory Luckie. He made some mistakes early on but he just kept after it. He gave a chance to win.”

Luckie kept Georgia’s bats quiet, while Auburn added another run in the fourth and then exploded for five in the sixth.

Hunter Morris started the scoring with a two-run blast. Bryant added to his RBI total by plating, once again, Fletcher, McElroy and Caldwell.

With the score 11-2 in the middle of the sixth, the game was effectively out of hand.

Just for good measure, the Tigers scored six more runs, adding to the Georgia humiliation.

Georgia finished with just six hits, leaving six stranded. Two Bulldogs errors didn’t help matters.

“You can’t have starting pitching like that and play poor defense in the middle of the field,” Perno said. “I mean, we can’t beat anybody. We don’t have the chance. It doesn’t matter who we play.”

Morris homered again, adding to his game-high five RBI total.

“Man, it would be scary to be a pitcher against him,” Bryant said of Morris. “When he gets in a grove, it’s bad to be any pitcher.”

Bryant added a blast in the eighth, and then went deep again in the ninth, finishing off the devastation.