Feb. 28, 2012
AUBURN, Ala. - Jon Luke Jacobs struck out a career high 13 hitters and retired the final 10 hitters he faced as Auburn claimed a 7-1 win over Alabama State on Tuesday night in the first of a two-game series at Plainsman Park. The win upped Auburn's record to 5-4 while Alabama State fell to 1-8. The two teams will close out the series on Wednesday at 5pm.
"Everything was really working tonight," Jacobs said. "Blake (Austin) and I seemed to be on the same page all night, just getting fastball location going and getting a second pitch in the zone for a strike. That was the biggest thing was trying to pitch off my fastball and get my breaking ball going later in the game."
Jacobs, who fanned nine three previous times, allowed a first-inning run before settling in for the next six innings, scattering three hits and two walks. Besides retiring his final 10 batters, he also set down 14 of the final 15 and 18 of the last 20 as all three of the hits he gave up were in the first inning.
"What a performance. Jon Luke was outstanding tonight," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "After the first inning when they got a couple of hits off of him he really settled in and gave us a quality outing tonight and certainly one that we needed."
With Jacobs on cruise control the offense used the team speed to turn nine hits and six walks in seven runs as it stole seven bases and had three extra-base hits, including a pair of triples by Jay Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, who has reached base safely in all nine games this season, tripled and scored in the fourth and then tripled in a pair of runs in the ninth, finishing the game 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs, a walk and three stolen bases. The two triples marked the first time an Auburn player had a pair of three-baggers in a single game since Dominic Rich had three in a win over UNC Charlotte on March 4, 2000.
Creede Simpson, hitting in the two hole for the second straight game, finished the night 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored, scoring on a Dan Glevenyak fielder's choice in the first to make it 2-0 and again on a Cullen Wacker sac fly in the third that made it 3-0. He also had two steals. Wacker would finish the game 1-for-2 with two RBIs to extend his hitting streak to a personal-best eight games.
Rocky McCord (0-0) gets the starting nod on the mound on Wednesday for Auburn while Alabama State has not announced its starter yet.
Auburn 7, Alabama State 1 (Feb 28, 2012 at Auburn, AL)
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Alabama State....... 100 000 000 - 1 3 1 (1-8)
Auburn.............. 202 100 02X - 7 9 0 (5-4)
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Win-Jon Luke Jacobs(2-0) Loss-MATTHEWS,Greg(0-3) T-2:25 A-2516
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