ONEONTA - They are the ones that don't get a lot of credit in big wins, but though they should. The way the Auburn Doubledays' defense played in its first playoff game of 2007 was a staple of how well it played all season.

With injuries here and there, the versatile Doubledays defense has stepped up their game when it's been needed the most. Sunday's 1-0 loss in Oneonta was proof of that.

A Manny Rodriguez unassisted double play at first base started it all. What ended the first inning became a theme throughout the game.

Whether it was Brett Cecil striking out two in a row to end a two-on, one-out second inning, or a line-drive diving catch by shortstop Luis Sanchez in the sixth to keep the Tigers off the board, the defensive wonders of the Doubledays were enough to keep fans on the edge of their seats all game.

Sanchez actually led the unit with five assists and three unassisted outs in the game, including a quick thinking 6-3 double play in the ninth.

“Sanchez has been unbelievable this entire year,” Cecil said. “We missed him when he was out, but we were really happy to have him back. The entire defense played great as well and that's all you can ask for as a pitcher.”

Well, that and an incredible catcher, something else the Doubledays have had all season, whether it was JP Arencibia navigating from behind the plate, or CJ Ebarb.

Arencibia, who seems to gun out a baserunner per game, did not disappoint on Sunday, with a pick-off that sent Tigers shortstop Jorge Patino back to the dugout.

“We played outstanding defense,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “The one error, the throwing error on Soto aside, we played great defense. We've had that pitching all year. We've been able to, for the most part, get a timely hit in addition to that.”

They might not have been able to get that hit in game one, but the Doubledays haven't often lost two in a row this season.

Not when Holmberg's keys to winning baseball games defense and pitching has been pretty consistent all season.

The latter also had a huge hand in the near win that could have sent Auburn home up 1-0 instead of 0-1 going into today's game.

Cecil gave the Doubledays five solid innings and fellow all-star Cody Crowell put forth three more.

And despite Michael Barbara getting his first loss of the season, his efforts in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings weren't bad either.

“All of them, the pitchers were well lined up on both sides tonight,” Holmberg said. “I give their starter a lot of credit, he pitched a hell of a ballgame. We couldn't get to their starter and they couldn't get to ours, even Crowell. It makes everything that much more difficult, it makes a tough ballgame. It's a tough loss, but in a sense, it's a victory. We played hard, we just came up short. We just have to recover and regroup.”