Feb. 17, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. -- Junior right-hander Keegan Thompson pitched six shutout innings as Auburn baseball shutout George Washington 9-0 Friday in Plainsman Park on Opening Day. It is Auburn's seventh-straight opening day win since 2007.
"One day is not going to define or tell a story, but I thought our guys handled the baseball so well today, so clean," head coach Butch Thompson said. "I don't think we had a walk, but I may be wrong about that. I think Keegan walked the first guy of the sixth inning, but other than that he just shoved the ball in the strike zone. George Washington hit some balls hard. Their first three or four hitters are really solid college baseball players, especially at the plate.
Thompson made his first appearance for the Tigers since May 30, 2015 after missing all of 2016 due to injury.
"I had a few butterflies," Thompson said. "It was my first time back throwing in 18 months. I was trying to throw some strikes and get a win."
Thompson scattered four hits over 6.0 innings on just 64 pitches.
Auburn scored early and often led by Daniel Robert who tied a career-high with a 4-for-4 day including two singles, a double and a triple.
"A lot of hard work payed off today and batting practice went well," Robert said. "I guess I got fortunate, saw some balls and put some good swings on them."
Robert's RBI came on a double to left center that plated Josh Anthony as part of a four-run seventh inning. Damon Haecker, making his fourth-straight opening day start and first at catcher of his career, plated a pair with a double.
Haecker is the first Tiger since Justin Hargett (2008-2011) to start four consecutive opening day games.
Anthony, playing in his first-career game as a Tiger, got the scoring started in the first with a single up the middle that plated Luke Jarvis. He came around to score on a Dylan Ingram RBI single to make the score 2-0.
The Tigers added three runs in the third on a RBI single by Jonah Todd, sacrifice fly by Ingram and RBI double by Bowen McGuffin.
Haecker and Ingram both had two RBI.
George Washington (0-1) used four pitchers with starting pitcher Elliott Raimo pitching 2.2 innings and five runs allowed.
Andrew Mitchell (1.1 IP), Corey Herndon (0.2 IP) and Elliott Anderson (1.0 IP) completed the shutout for the Tigers.
Auburn returns to the diamond Saturday for a doubleheader with George Washington at 11 am CT at Plainsman Park.