Feb. 25, 2007
MOBILE, Ala. -
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Eric Skinner tagged a first-inning grand slam and the offense was relentless for the fourth game in a row, hitting four home runs in a game for the first time since the 2005 season as No. 29 Auburn defeated South Alabama, 20-5, to close out the Coca-Cola Classic with a perfect 3-0 record. Ryan Jenkins, Ross Smith and Mike Bianucci each added homers for the Tigers as Auburn pounded out 16 hits en route to its seventh straight victory and a 10-1 record.
"Eric (Skinner) got a hold of that ball and drove it out of here and that was fun to watch," Auburn Head Coach Tom Slater said.
Bianucci finished the game a double shy of the cycle, going 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored and was named the Tournament MVP as he finished the weekend 8-for-12 with a double, triple, two home runs, six runs scored and seven RBI.
"It was a good team effort. Everyone did their part, getting hits and moving guys over," Bianucci said.
"Mike (Bianucci) has really been swinging it well. He works as hard as anyone and it is really a pleasure to coach him," Slater said.
All nine starters finished with at least one hit in the game for the Tigers with Josh Donaldson (2-for-5, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI), Smith (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) and Jenkins (2-for-6, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) joining Bianucci with multi-hit games.
"Most of the balls we hit hard and out of here today were to the opposite field and I thought our guys were locked in and had a great approach at the plate all day long," Slater said.
Auburn starter Evan Crawford (2-0) earned the win for the Tigers, not allowing a hit for the first 2.1 innings before surrendering a run on three soft singles to the top three men in the order to make it 8-1 Auburn after three. But the Tigers got the run back and more as the Tigers scored six runs on two walks, an error and three home runs all with two outs in the top of the fourth to give Auburn a 14-1 edge.
Crawford went 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
Auburn's bullpen combination of Johnny Thompson and Josh Blake threw 4.0 innings, allowing a run on four hits while striking out three.
South Alabama (4-4) starter Brandon Sage (0-2) surrendered five runs on three hits and two walks in 0.2 innings to take the loss.
Auburn returns to the Plains for a game against Samford at 3pm CT on Tuesday.
GAME NOTES
So. C Ryan Jenkins made his first start of the season ... Skinner's grand slam was the first by a Tiger since Jeff Boutwell hit one against Mississippi State on April, 15, 2006 ... It was the first AU road grand slam since Josh Bell did it as Mississippi State on April 13, 2003 ... Mike Bianucci now has 13 career home runs ... Eric Skinner, Ryan Jenkins and Ross Smith all hit the first home runs of their career ... The last time Auburn hit four home runs in a game was on May 22, 2005 in a 11-9 loss to Alabama ... The Tigers that hit homers in that game were Clete Thomas, Josh Bell and Karl Amonite (2) ... Bianucci's four-hit game was the fourth of his career ... The 20 runs were the most scored by an Auburn team since March 3, 1997, in a 20-7 win over Davidson.