Irish’s five-hit effort leads No. 20 Auburn past Kentucky

[Matt Dillon]

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Auburn Athletics) – Ike Irish capped off a five-hit game with a go-ahead home run in the 11^th inning to lead No. 16 Auburn to an 8-7 series-clinching win at No. 24 Kentucky Saturday at Kentucky Proud Park.

The series win marks the team’s eighth straight winning weekend dating back to the end of the 2024 season, marking the longest such streak since 2003.

“That’s the biggest thing we have going for us right now,” head coach Butch Thompson said of his team’s resiliency. “We’re playing good baseball, but we’re not playing elite baseball, and we know we want to grow into it. This series on the road, you have to absolutely beat somebody and finish them off. You could get a call, all of the excuses just put them to the side. The resilience gave us a second chance to win this ballgame, and we took full advantage of it.”

Tied 7-7 with one out in the top of the 11th, Irish swung on a 1-1 pitch and kept it fair down the right field line to reclaim the lead for the Tigers. It was Irish’s second home run and fifth hit of the game, marking the program’s first five-hit game in SEC play since 2011.

Irish’s five-hit effort leads No. 20 Auburn past Kentucky - Southeastern Conference​

[Lighthouse]

We're not playing very well right now. Hope we can right the ship.

[Matt Dillon]

Both the baseball team, and the softball team need to step it up.