Kentucky's Oraj Anu and Adam Fogel hit back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday to help lift the Wildcats to a 3-1 upset of Auburn in the opening round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.

With the win, 12th-seeded Kentucky (31-24) adavances to the double-elimination bracket of the tournament where it will face fourth-seeded LSU (37-18). It marked the Cats' first win in the tourney since 2017.

"Obviously, in our league, you're just battle-tested," UK head coach Nick Mingione told the SEC Network. "I think every team has to go through adversity, and we've done that. At one time, we had four starters out, including Oraj, who broke his hamate bone in the middle of the season.

"I just think we've got a bunch of guys who want to keep playing."

To get there, the Cats had to beat No. 24 Auburn for the third time in four games, and in much more dramatic fashion than they did in taking two of three last week at Kentucky Proud Park.

After getting a sensational starting performance from grad senior Sean Harney, Kentucky surrendered the lead to the Tigers in the bottom of the eighth when SEC co-Player of the Year Sonny DiChiara hit a two-out, solo home run to tie the game at 1-1.

Unfazed, UK got off the mat and reclaimed the lead as Anu hit a 420-foot blast to straightaway center and Fogel drove a ball deep over the fence in left field at spacious Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

The Cats had to withstand a bit more drama before they could celebrate. Auburn put the first two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth against UK's All-SEC relief pitcher, Tyler Guilfoil. But the junior right-hander from Lexington bounced back to retire the next three batters on a pop-up and a pair of strikeouts to lock down the win.

Harney pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, holding Auburn to only four hits and a walk while striking out five. He was going back to the mound in the eighth but had to leave the game after hitting his head on the concrete ceiling of the dugout while UK was batting in the top of the inning.

Daniel Harper took over for Harney and recorded two routine outs before surrendering the tying home run to DiChiara. Guilfoil (3-1) worked the final inning and a third, striking out three.

Blake Burkhalter (4-2) took the loss for the Tigers, allowing the two UK home runs in the ninth inning.

Auburn (37-19) will await to hear its seeding for the NCAA Tournament.