Roundup: O’Neal pitches complete game shutout, Kilpatrick homer helps knock off No. 4 Florida

Auburn pitcher Michael O’Neal threw a complete game shutout against Brown on Saturday.
Credit: Lauren Barnard/Auburn Athletics

AUBURN — Michael O’Neal threw a complete game shutout, the first in nearly two seasons for Auburn, striking out six while allowing six hits and two walks as the Tigers defeated Brown, 6-0,  Saturday afternoon at Plainsman Park.

O’Neal (4-0), a junior college transfer, walked one in the first and one in the fifth and retired the side in order four times to lead Auburn (11-3) to its fifth straight victory.

“That is the first complete game shutout I have thrown. In JUCO I always seemed to give up one run in the ninth,” O’Neal said. “I didn’t have a very good bullpen before the game. I didn’t have any idea where the ball was going, but I looked at (student manager Cameron) Blinka and said I was going to do really well today because if I am really good in there I am really bad out here. I just knew something was going to happen for me.”

It was the first complete game shutout by an Auburn pitcher since Derek Varnadore, also a product of Chattahoochee Valley Community College, accomplished the feat in a 3-0 win over Georgia on May 7, 2011.

“(O’Neal) is that type of pitcher, he has a little different look, and his ball runs around so much. Not many guys squared up his fastball today,” Auburn coach John Pawlowski said.

Ryan Tella was 2-for-3 with a walk and a pair of runs scored and Garrett Cooper was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Jordan Ebert extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a lead-off single in the third while Damek Tomscha was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs and has been on base in all 14 games for the Tigers, who wrap up the weekend series with Brown (1-5) at noon Sunday.

Auburn went up 3-0 in the third as Dan Glevenyak singled in Ebert, Jackson Burgreen doubled and scored on a Tomscha fielder’s choice and Glevenyak scored on a sac fly by Cullen Wacker.

The Tigers extended their lead to 4-0 in the fifth when Tella scored on a Cooper single. Auburn closed out the scoring in the seventh when Tomscha doubled in Tella and Cooper drove in Tomscha.

Starting on the mound for Auburn Sunday will be Rocky McCord (1-0, 4.63 ERA) while Brown will start Kevin Carlow (0-1, 5.14 ERA).

Kilpatrick solo shot sends Tigers to win over No. 4 Florida

McKenzie Kilpatrick hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift Auburn to a 5-4 win over No. 4 Florida Saturday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field. The Tigers (18-6l, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) conclude their series with the Gators (24-2, 1-1 SEC) at 1 p.m. Sunday.

“I’m really proud of this team’s resiliency and the fight they showed today,” Auburn coach Tina Deese said. “After last night’s game they could have easily folded today, but they came out aggressive and playing with a purpose. We need to put this one behind us now and get ready for tomorrow’s game.”

On the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth, Kilpatrick gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead with a solo home run over the wall in left. It was Kilpatrick’s second home run of the season and third of her career.

In the top of the seventh, the Gators had Lauren Haeger and her team-best seven home runs at the plate with the tying run at first base and eventually in scoring position. But Marcy Harper closed it out, getting Haeger to fly out to right for the final out.

Harper (8-2) allowed four runs, on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts in the complete-game victory.