AUBURN, Ala. — With runners at the corners in the final inning of a tie game, Kentucky made the curious decision to pitch to Auburn’s Hunter Morris, one of the SEC’s elite hitters.

With side-armed right-hander Nick Kennedy on the mound for the Wildcats, Tigers catcher Ryan Jenkins somewhat understood the rationale.

“He wasn’t a huge strike thrower and I think they were a little worried about getting Tony (Caldwell) up there and him not being able to throw strikes,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins paused briefly before giving his final verdict: “But I would have walked him.”

Kentucky didn’t and paid the price Sunday, giving up a two-out, walk-off single to Morris that lifted Auburn to a 6-5 series-clinching victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader at Plainsman Park.

“I was glad they pitched to me,” said Morris, who is in the SEC’s top-five in average, home runs and RBIs. “I wanted to get the job done.”

The win erased the memories of a sloppy 8-7 loss earlier in the day and improved Auburn’s record to 27-14 overall and 10-8 in the SEC, with a huge showdown looming next weekend at Western Division-leading Arkansas.

“It was huge,” said Morris, who went 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs in the doubleheader. “To be 10-8 instead of 9-9 in the SEC right now doesn’t sound like a huge difference, but we still have four weekends left and there’s no easy weekends in this conference. For us to be able to edge out any win we can is very big.”

Auburn nearly lost both games Sunday. Kentucky (23-17, 6-12) used a three-run rally in the eighth to come away victorious in the opener, a game resumed from Saturday.

Seven different Auburn pitchers combined to give up 14 hits, walk 10 batters and hit four more. Kentucky stole eight bases and scored two runs on Tigers errors, including the game-winner on a grounder that Morris booted.

Auburn had its chances but left 13 runners on base. Trent Mummey flied out to the warning track in center with two runners on to end the game.

“In that first game we had a lot of opportunities,” Auburn head coach John Pawlowski said. “After that first game, these kids were disappointed. They were down and frustrated. But they kept their composure.”

Although Auburn went ahead 4-0 on a three-run homer by Jenkins in Game 2, Kentucky stormed back. The Wildcats tied the game in the sixth on a three-run shot by Lance Ray off Auburn starter Grant Dayton, who went 6 1/3 innings and allowed five runs.

The Wildcats took a 5-4 lead in the seventh and final inning on Gunner Glad’s sacrifice fly off closer Austin Hubbard (4-3).

But the Tigers pieced together one final rally. Jenkins led off with a bloop single down the right field line. After a sacrifice bunt, Justin Fradejas, who has a 22-game hitting streak, laced a single to right center that scored pinch runner Creede Simpson just ahead of the Kentucky throw to the plate.

After Mummey popped out, Brian Fletcher hit an infield single to put runners on the corners for Morris, who ended Auburn’s day on a high note.

“You’ve got to pick your poison with our lineup for the most part,” said Morris, who extended his hitting streak to 16 games. “A lot of guys are swinging it well. Had they not pitched to me, Tony Caldwell would have come up and done the same thing.”

Hubbard, who got the loss in the opener, earned the win in the nightcap, getting two outs in the seventh and stranding runners at first and third.

Auburn returns to action Tuesday at home against Samford at 7:30 p.m. ET.