Feb. 21, 2012
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn baseball team pounded out 20 hits, nine of which went for extra bases, and its pitching staff held Alcorn State to just four hits as it picked up a 22-0 win on Tuesday afternoon at Plainsman Park. Creede Simpson was 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles while Patrick Savage and Kody Ortman both hit home runs as Auburn evened its record at 2-2.
"We played a complete game today and it starts with the guys on the mound. Jon Luke Jacobs was outstanding. Will Kendall, Jay Wade and Cory Luckie all came in and filled the strike zone up. When you play the type of defense that we played, we made some tremendous plays out there, so there are a lot of positive things that went on," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said.
Jacobs threw six innings of two-hit ball while striking out three to pick up the win. The only time Alcorn State (1-3) had multiple runners on base in a single inning was the second when Jacobs surrendered a single and a walk as he sat them down in order in four of his six innings.
"The defense was great today. I just threw the ball down in the zone and let them go to work," Jacobs said. "I can't say enough about the infielders and some balls that were run down by the outfielders. Dan Gleveyak made some great plays out at short, Jarred Smith over there at third and then arguably I think we have one of the fastest outfields in the conference."
The bullpen followed with three innings of scoreless ball as Kendall, Wade and Luckie each threw an inning.
Auburn, which entered the game with eight doubles and no other extra-base hits on the season, produced six doubles, a triple from Ryan Tella (2-for-3, 2B, 3B, 3 BB, 4 R) and the pair of home runs, both of which came in pinch hit appearances. The SEC leader in stolen bases coming into the game, the team picked up four more over the first three innings to up its season total to 12 in just four games.
"Offensively it started early and we put some pressure on them early in the game. We did some things with our speed and saw some guys go first-to-third," Pawlowski said.
Auburn scored a total of 16 runs over the first six innings, scoring at least one run in every frame up until the seventh. Bobby Andrews (2-for-4, 3 R, 3 RBI) and Jay Gonzalez (1-for-5, 2B, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI) combined with Tella to score nine of the team's runs and drove in six of the team's 17 RBIs from the top three spots in the lineup.
In total, 13 different Auburn players scored at least one run and 13 different hitters had at least one hit as Auburn collected its most hits since rapping out 20 in a in a 15-8 win over Kentucky on Apr. 9, 2011.
Auburn's 22-run margin was its largest since a 28-6 win at Samford on Feb. 6, 2000.
The two teams return to the diamond at 3pm on Wednesday. Freshman right-hander Rocky McCord gets the starting nod for Auburn. Alcorn State has not announced a starter.
Auburn 22, Alcorn State 0 (Feb 21, 2012 at Auburn, AL)
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Alcorn State........ 000 000 000 - 0 4 3 (1-3)
Auburn.............. 341 116 06X - 22 20 0 (2-2)
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Win-Jon Luke Jacobs(1-0) Loss-STUBBS,Terrance(0-1) T-2:24 A-2248
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