No. 11 Auburn had no trouble at the plate on Tuesday night, launching four longballs and striking in every inning but two to take down South Alabama 13-5 at Riverwalk Stadium.
Though the Tigers struck in the first two innings with eight runs and only gave up two hits to the Jaguars after the first inning, they committed five errors in the field, giving way to two unearned runs for South Alabama.
“I'm thankful for this win. Just got to keep working, to keep trying to grow the ball club. I feel great about a win for the guys, but you know where I'm going next – five errors and handling routine plays, and then 15 three-ball counts, that's just going to get you,” said Auburn head coach Butch Thompson.
A five-spot in the second inning paced the Tigers’ scoring efforts as Cade Belyeu led the inning off with a two-run shot over the wall in right. Ike Irish recorded his second of four hits in his second consecutive game with at least four hits with an RBI-single to left field, scoring Bristol Carter, who was hit by a pitch following Belyeus’ blast. With Eric Snow and Irish both in scoring position, Cooper McMurray singled to load the bases. Lucas Steele then reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Snow and Irish on an errant throw to cap off the innings’ scoring efforts.
“Our offense has been good for us all year. I think just going out there, we give a home run early and we just don't ever get down, no matter if we’re down or up by 20. We're going to put together at-bats day in and day out,” Belyeu said.
The Tigers answered a two-run inning from the Jaguars in the first with three runs in the home half as Irish recorded his fourth home run in the last three games with a two-run shot, and McMurray made it back-to-back blasts with a solo-homer of his own to right field, giving Auburn a one-run cushion it would never relinquish.
“I think it was huge just for some team morale,” Irish said of the Tigers’ quick answer in the first. “If you start hitting in the first inning, it gets the guys in the dugout involved in the game and then that energy spreads to the guys in the field. I think you saw that our dugout got a little more energized.”
An Irish double down the line in left in the third inning scored Belyeu and gave the Tigers a 4-2 lead after the first four frames.
“Ever since last Saturday, all I've been thinking about in the box is just getting my foot down, you know, I think my timing's right. I trust my hands and my eyes, and, you know, I just took my hands to the ball. And I think that's what I've been doing the past few bats, is I've been on time, and I'm taking my hands to the ball," Irish said.
After the Jaguars scored three in the sixth on one hit and an error to cut the Tigers’ lead to four, Auburn put up four more runs in its next three plate appearances while holding the Jaguars scoreless.
The Tigers went with the bullpen approach on Tuesday night, working eight guys on the mound, some making their first appearance of the season. Jett Johnston recorded his fourth win of the year out of the bullpen, holding the Jaguars hitless in his two innings of work. Benn Schorr, Abe Chancellor, Jackson Sanders and John Armstrong also worked scoreless innings, with no Tiger pitchers other than Johnston and Armstrong going longer than two innings.
“I don't think there's any doubt they did a huge job for us,” Thompson said of his pitching staff.
Auburn will return to action with a weekend series against Georgia at Foley Field beginning on Friday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
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