April 6, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - Thirteen different hitters collected at least one of Auburn's season-high 24 hits, 11 of which went for extra-bases, as Auburn cruised to a 22-7 win over Georgia State on Tuesday night at Plainsman Park. Trent Mummey returned to the field after a seven-week layoff due to injury and went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and a home run, driving in four after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth.
"It was probably one of the happiest moments of my life when the coaches told me before the game that they were going to get me a pinch hit in the DH role," Mummey said. "Baseball is a humbling sport. When you go down with an injury, you have to regroup. It was great to lace up the spikes and be back out on the field...It was exciting to get back out there, get my feet wet and see some pitching."
Justin Hargett also had a big game for Auburn, going 4-for-5 from the nine hole in the lineup. Though he only scored once after getting on base four times, he did drive in a season-high five RBI as he collected three singles, a double and laid down a sac bunt to help put the game out of reach early on.
"I have to give a lot of credit to the hitters around me. I got a lot of good pitches to hit tonight. I think their pitchers made some mistakes and I just tried to put good swings on it," Hargett said. "Every spot in the lineup you have a chance to get RBIs because so many guys are on base. We have such a dominant offense that we always have a chance to get RBIs."
Also homering for Auburn (19-10) was Justin Bryant, who blasted his fifth of the season in the seventh as he went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Bryant has now homered in his last three games and has driven in a total of eight runs over his last four games.
All total, Auburn hit four home runs as Brian Fletcher (1-for-4, BB, 2 RBI) hit his 10th of the season and Tony Caldwell (2-for-4, 2 R) hit his sixth one batter apart in the third inning as Auburn went up 4-1 and never looked back.
Auburn scored at least one run in every inning but the second and put five runs on the board in the seventh and six in the eighth, running through seven Georgia State pitchers in the process.
"It starts with quality at bats (in the early innings) and then later in the game we got some balls that we could hammer and the guys did it," Auburn Assistant Coach Scott Foxhall said. Foxhall was managing the game for head coach John Pawlowski, who was serving his one-game suspension following his and Grant Dayton's ejection on Sunday at Alabama.
The beneficiary of the runs for Auburn was reliever Sean Ray (1-1), who picked up his first win of the season and just the third of his career. Ray entered for Auburn starter Dexter Price with two down and the bases loaded in the fifth. After issuing a walk to the first hitter he faced that made it 5-4, he threw the next 2 1/3 innings, allowing a run on two hits and three walks, striking out two.
Justin Fradejas' (2-for-6, 2 2B, R, RBI) double to lead off the third extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Georgia State (14-15) starter Michael Moch (1-2) took the loss, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Auburn remains home for its next game as it plays host to South Alabama at 6:30pm CT. Auburn will start So. LHP Cory Luckie (1-2, 10.02) on the mound in what will be a designated start.
Auburn 22, Georgia State 7 (Apr 06, 2010 at Auburn, AL)
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Georgia State....... 010 120 102 - 7 11 5 (14-15)
Auburn.............. 103 133 56X - 22 24 0 (19-10)
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Win-Sean Ray(1-1) Loss-Moch, Michael(1-2) T-3:21 A-2392
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