Cats take series from Auburn, clinch spot in SEC Tourney

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Entering the final day of college baseball's regular season, Kentucky had two potential paths to the postseason.

Defeat No. 18 Auburn in the series finale at Kentucky Proud Park, and the Wildcats would clinch a spot in next week's SEC Tournament. Or, UK could get some help from Georgia in its series finale against Missouri and still go to Hoover.

Kentucky chose to take care of business on its own. The Cats got a strong starting perormance from senior left-hander Mason Hazelwood and some clutch, two-out hitting to defeat the Tigers 6-3 and win the series.

Hazelwood held Auburn to only one run on two hits over five innings on the mound, retiring the last 13 batters he faced before a lightning delay forced him out of the game. But Tyler Guilfoil (2-1) picked up where he left off and allowed just two runs over the final four innings.

Trailing 1-0 in the sixth, the Cats rallied for five runs, the last four coming courtesy of two-out hits from Jacob Plastiak, John Thrasher, and Hunter Jump. UK was 6-for-14 (.429) with two outs in the game.

Thrasher added another two-out RBI single in the eighth inning to give UK an insurance run.

Carson Skipper (5-3) took the loss for Auburn working out of the bullpen after Jospeh Gonzalez had given the Tigers five shutout innings before the lightning delay. Skipper allowed three earned runs on a hit and two walks in UK's decisive sixth inning.

Kentucky (30-24, 12-18 SEC ) now has won four series against Top 20 opponents, including the teams ranked 1, 5, and 14 in the RPI.

The Cats will open play in the SEC Tournament on Tuesday night. It will be a rematch with Auburn (37-18, 16-13 SEC) in the final game of the evening in Hoover. The opening round of the tourney is single-elimination.