LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the sixth year in a row, Auburn failed to qualify for the SEC Tournament.

Two losses to Kentucky on Saturday sealed the deal, as the Tigers dropped the first game — after it was postponed Friday night because of rain — 6-5 in 10 innings, then Game 2, 6-3.

It was the 12th loss in the last 13 conference games, including the last nine in a row for Auburn. The Tigers will try to snap that skid today at noon in the final game of the series for the two teams.

Kentucky jumped out to a 6-0 lead off Auburn starter Grant Dayton, while Kentucky starter Chris Rusin held Auburn to just six hits while striking out nine.

“Grant left a few balls up and they jumped on them and executed some good swings,” Auburn head coach John Pawlowski said. “Sean Ray did a great job for us, going deep in the game and giving us a chance but we could never get anything going (offensively).”

Kentucky scored six times off Dayton (2-6) before an out was recorded in the third, as both Gunner Glad and Chris Wade hit home runs off the lefty.

The Tigers could only muster one hit in the first three innings — a Wes Gilmer single to left.

Dayton left having allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and hitting three batters in the shortest SEC start of his career.

Rusin threw his fourth complete game of the season to move to 6-4 on the season. The senior left hander was simply dominant at the start, sitting down 17 of the first 18 hitters of the game, including 12 straight from the third through sixth innings.

“After five innings we had only sent 15 guys to the plate. We have to find a way to manufacture and get something going. Rusin threw a very good game and consequently we ended up on the losing end again today,” Pawlowski said.

Ray, who came in for Dayton in the third, tossed a career-long six innings and ran his scoreless innings streak to 10 1/3 innings, spanning four appearances, allowing just one hit in those four outings, a fifth-inning single to Glad on Saturday evening.

Auburn was able to get on the board in the seventh as Ben Jones hit a one-out, bases-loaded RBI single and Casey McElory drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk to draw within four, 6-2.

Hunter Morris’ RBI single in the eighth cut the lead to 6-3, scoring Justin Hargett from third after he led off the inning with a double, his second hit of the game.

The loss dropped Auburn’s record to 27-24, 8-18 SEC. Kentucky is now 26-23, 11-15 SEC.

In the first game of the day, the Wildcats used a bases-loaded single from Braden Kapteyn in the bottom of the 10th to slide past the Tigers.

Kapteyn not only delivered the game-winning hit but also picked up the win on the mound, tossing 1 2/3 innings in relief, allowing a run, to move to 4-0 on the year.

The 10th inning started with Austin Hubbard (2-3) on the mound for Auburn, trying to protect the one-run lead. Andy Burns drew a walk and Chris Bisson followed with a single to put two on with none out. Gunner Glad then squared to bunt but instead slapped one through the rotating infield to score the game-tying run.

A sacrifice bunt by Chris Wade put runners on second and third, prompting an intentional walk to Keenan Wiley and bringing Kapteyn to the plate. Kapteyn then drove a 2-0 pitch down the line in left for the game-winner.

Wes Gilmer finished the day 1-for-3 in the loss for Auburn, driving in three runs for the second time in his career and the second time in the last week-and-a-half, also doing it at Troy on April 29.

Today’s game will see Auburn freshman right-hander Dexter Price (3-2, 5.74) take the hill for his third SEC start, while Kentucky has yet to announce its starter.