AUBURN, Ala. – No. 11 Auburn scored 11 runs in the first four inning en route to a 14-8 win against Mississippi State, claiming the series Sunday afternoon at Plainsman Park.
The series win marked Auburn’s fifth in the Southeastern Conference this season and was the team’s seventh in the last nine conference series dating back to last year. The Tigers are one of two teams, joined by Texas, to win seven SEC series in the span.
“It’s just important at home for you to win a series,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “I’m thankful for that. Great bounce back. That’s what we needed to stay focused on today. Getting to 11 SEC wins is huge when you have three weekends to go. Today it was just about responding. We executed at an entry level to the Southeastern Conference yesterday. We know it, but what’s great about this game is you get a chance to come right back the next day. That’s what the guys did today. Just all the way around we were engaged, so I’m thankful for that.”
After scoring a pair of runs in the first inning, Auburn (30-14, 11-10 SEC) set the tone with a six-run second inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from Chris Rembert and three-run homer from Cooper McMurray. The senior went 3-for-5 with two extra-base hits in the game and finished the weekend 6-for-13.
The team’s 14 runs were the most in a SEC game in the last two seasons, and the 14 hits were tied for the second most in a league contest this year.
“They jumped out on us early yesterday, and it was kind of our turn today,” McMurray said. “It was a great bounce back from the guys. You have to protect your home field after a day like yesterday, so that was the message today.”
Making his first career start, Cam Tilly turned in a clean first inning, ending it with a strikeout, and Auburn wasted no time getting on the scoreboard with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Ike Irish hit a RBI double off the War Eagle Wall in left field, scoring Chris Rembert from first, and Eric Guevara drove in his fourth run of the weekend with a two-out single through the left side.
Mississippi State (25-19, 7-14 SEC) answered with two runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batter, but Tilly buckled down to strand the bases loaded with his second strikeout.
The Auburn offense went back to work with six runs on four hits, two walks and an error to take a commanding 8-2 lead in the second. Deric Fabian hit a line drive to left field to score Cade Belyeu, who started the inning with an infield single. Rembert then hit his second home run of the weekend and sixth of the season to extend the lead to 5-2. McMurray followed an error and walk with a three-run home to make it a six-run game.
“For the most part, just taking balls and swinging at strikes,” Guevara said of what played into his success this weekend, finishing the three games 5-for-11. “I’m just sticking to my approach and just slowing the game down. That’s been working, for sure.”
The Bulldogs started the top of the third with a solo home run from Ace Reese.
Auburn went scoreless in the bottom of the inning, and Tilly faced the minimum in the fourth thanks to an inning-ending double play, the team’s 38th of the season.
The Tigers put the first four batters of the bottom of the fourth aboard, and three came in to score. Lucas Steele sent a two-run single through the left side, and Belyeu lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it an 11-3 lead.
Mississippi State chipped away with two in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the seventh to make it a four-run game, but Auburn scored three in the bottom of the eighth to get three of the four runs back. Steele drove in his third run of the game with a single to center, and Chase Fralick followed with a two-run double over the head of the right fielder to extend the lead to 14-7.
The Bulldogs got a solo home run from Hunter Hines in the top of the ninth, but Carson Myers (2-2) retired six of the seven batters he faced in the final two frames.
Fellow senior Parker Carlson also turned in 2.0 inning in relief, allowing one run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout in the sixth and seventh innings.
Auburn starts a four-game week on the road with a midweek matchup vs. Samford (23-20) Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Hoover Met.