March 13, 2016
Junior outfielder Anfernee Grier hit his fourth homer of the season. (Auburn Photo)
AUBURN, Ala. - Anfernee Grier had a career-high four RBI and Auburn baseball exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning to give the Tigers an 18-11 win over Oral Roberts and secure the series victory on Sunday at Plainsman Park.
"Everything was set up offensively today with the weather," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. "We swung it well today and so did they. We still have so much room to improve. We just have to play the game of baseball. Our schedule will be challenging and tough from here on out. We will play great teams and to stick with them, we are going to have to be fundamentally sound."
The Tigers (8-8) used seven hits and sent 13 men to the plate in the sixth as it overcame a two-run deficit to jump in front for good in a game that had been back and forth to that point.
The exclamation point in the frame was a 3-run homer for Grier, his fourth home run of the season. He finished 2-for-6 with four RBI and extended his hitting streak to a career-high tying 17 games dating back to the final game of 2015.
Auburn jumped on top in the second on Niko Buentello's fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to right field. The Tigers increased their lead to 4-0 before the inning came to a close thanks to RBIs by Cody Nulph and Jackson Burgreen.
Buentello was 3-for-5 with the homer and scored three times. Nulph had three hits and four RBI on the day.
Oral Roberts (7-7) countered with five runs in the third inning to take a 5-4 lead with the big hit a two-run single by Rolando Martinez.
Martinez (three RBI) and Trevin Sonnier both had three hits for ORU.
Jordan Ebert walked with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to tie the game.
The two teams traded a pair of runs in the fifth with Auburn's Anfernee Grier and Burgreen chipping in RBI singles to make it 7-7.
Burgreen had a career-high four hits and equaled his career high with three runs scored. Joshua Palacios reached base five times on three hits and two walks. He scored twice and drove in a pair.
After Oral Roberts got a sac fly to re-take the lead in the top of sixth, Auburn answered with the big inning. The Golden Eagles also scored three in the eighth on a 2-run homer by Chase Stafford and a RBI single.
Auburn's hitters pounded out a season-high 21 hits as six different Tigers posted a multi-hit game and Blake Logan had a career high four hits.
The Tigers got four in the eighth to seal it. Logan added a RBI single and Nulph came through with a 2-run double. Daniel Robert picked up a RBI with a bases-loaded walk.
Izaac Yarbrough pitched 1.1 innings in relief and got the victory to improve to 2-0 on the season. Freshman Daniel Sprinkle finished the game with a perfect ninth.
ORU used seven pitchers on the day. Billy Lovvorn took the loss with seven runs allowed in one inning.
Auburn is in action next on Tuesday when it travels to Georgia Tech.