Auburn powers past Rebs
By By Kyle Veazey/staff writer
April 13, 2002
OXFORD Ole Miss athletic department personnel had recently put together a chart to measure distances for home runs at Swayze Field. They just didn't think it would be the other team that would give the chart its best workout to date.
Auburn homered three times and banged out 14 hits Friday night en route to handing the Rebels a 10-3 defeat, snapping their 12-game win streak in front of 2,471 at Swayze Field.
The Tigers routed Ole Miss starter J.R. Pickens (6-2) to the tune of 11 hits and four earned runs in five and two-thirds innings. It didn't help that the Rebels (27-8, 8-5 SEC) committed two errors.
Colby Paxton (8-2) was the story for the Tigers, hurling an eight-hit complete game on 101 pitches.
Auburn's Bobby Huddleston had a memorable night, going three-for-five and driving in five runs. He also hit his fifth home run in the year in the third inning, while Chuck Jeroloman added one in the fourth and Scott Schade went deep in the sixth.
The Tigers got many of their hits and home runs swinging on the first and second pitch, a fact that contributed to an Ole Miss season-shortest 2:15 game time.
With the 12-game winning streak gone, it appeared that the Rebels might have diverted to some old habits mainly those that led to an embarrassing season-opening sweep at Florida.
The Tigers (25-11, 7-6 SEC) will send Levale Speigner (6-3, 3.88 ERA) to the mound for today's 3 p.m. start against Rebel ace Pete Montrenes (7-2, 3.96).
With Ole Miss claiming a 1-0 lead after the first inning, Auburn tied the game with a Sean Gamble sacrifice fly that scored Chuck Jeroloman.
The Tigers broke it open two batters later. After Jonathan Schuerholz singled and Javon Moran reached base on an error, Bobby Huddleston homered to put Auburn ahead 4-1.
Auburn added to its lead with another longball in the fourth, with Jeroloman sending a 381-foot shot over the left field fence that scored Doug Vines and gave AU a 6-1 advantage.
The Tigers blew the game open in the sixth, starting with a leadoff home run from Scott Schade. Schuerholz then reached on an error, and Sean Gamble walked. Moran drove home Schade with a single, and Huddleston knocked in Moran and Gamble with a double to give Auburn a 10-1 lead.
Ole Miss threatened in the bottom of the eighth, but it was way too little too late. Bryce Morrison doubled home Burney Hutchinson, who later scored after Chad Sterbens beat out an infield base hit to cut the lead to 10-3.
