(AP) -- HOOVER, Ala. (AP) - Adam Matthews went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as South Carolina built a five-run lead and then held on to defeat Auburn 5-3 Thursday in the third round of the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament. The Gamecocks play Florida on Friday. The loss knocked Auburn out of the double-elimination tournament. Matthews had RBI singles in both the fourth and fifth innings, as South Carolina (40-16) jumped ahead 5-0. Auburn (31-28) scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings to cut the lead to 5-3. But Matt Price retired the Tigers in order in the ninth for his 10th save. Michael Roth (6-1) picked up the victory, while Cory Luckie (2-2) took the loss. The Gamecocks had a total of 13 hits in the game, with LB Dantzler, Grayson Greiner and Chase Vergason accounting for two hits each. Justin Bryant was 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Tigers.
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