AUBURN, Ala. — How sweep it is.
For just the second time since 2008, Kentucky swept a Southeastern Conference opponent on the road, finishing off its three-game series at Auburn with a pair of victories in Saturday’s doubleheader at Plainsman Park. The Cats never trailed during the series and improved to 5-1 in league play, their best start since the 2017 season.
The Cats (17-4, 5-1 SEC) jumped to early leads in both games on Saturday and answered every Auburn rally. TJ. Collett launched a three-run first-inning blast in the opener and added an RBI double off the wall in the opening frame of the nightcap, keeping the Cats on the offensive throughout. The senior first baseman had five RBI on Saturday and scored six runs in the series with multiple hits in all three games.
Auburn wouldn’t go away quietly, mounting comebacks in all three games, but the Cats never blinked. In game one, freshman right-hander Austin Strickland pitched the final two innings to earn the win in his first career appearance in a hostile environment, then watched as senior righty Holt Jones stranded the game-tying run on base to earn the save.
UK’s last SEC road sweep came at No. 13 Texas A&M in 2017 and the last sweep of any kind in conference play came later that season vs. Tennessee. It also was the first series win at Auburn since 2004 and only the second sweep of the Tigers in Auburn, with the other coming in 1992.
