March 31, 2017
Related Links
-->
AUBURN, Ala. -- Sophomore right-hander Casey Mize tossed his first career complete game with a career-high tying 12 strikeouts as No. 17 Auburn baseball defeated No. 6 South Carolina 5-4 Friday at Plainsman Park in front of a sellout crowd.
"I think our guys did a good job of just playing the game and staying connected to what we're doing," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. "Josh Anthony got a big double off of [Wil] Crowe there to have the big inning. We were one play away from Casey [Mize] just really doing it, but that's what a quality team is going to do. Casey really reset and came back for the seventh, eighth and ninth and got right back out on a roll. He's just a warrior. I didn't give a game ball tonight, I gave a game bucket and I poured it over Casey's head. Probably 30 baseballs. That was just a great effort tonight."
Making his first career Friday start, Mize (4-1) tied his career high with 12 strikeouts, the most for the Springville, Ala. native in a SEC game. He allowed four runs while surrendering just one walk over a career-high 120 pitches.
"The electric crowd out there brought a great atmosphere and definitely helped me get through the ninth," Mize said. "Hearing that crowd roar when I went out there for the ninth was one of the best feelings I've ever had, and then after the last out, too. I got a little shaky in the middle innings and just kept trying to throw pitches and trusting my defense, who made unbelievable plays. I know I might be all over the headlines, but those guys are the real tale of the tape. Those guys made unbelievable plays."
The victory was Auburn's seventh one-run win of the season in nine tries after posting a 1-11 record in those games in 2016.
Auburn (22-6, 6-1) struck first in the bottom of the second as Jay Estes and Jonah Todd scored on a passed ball and an error.
The Tigers stretched the lead to 5-0 in the fourth as Josh Anthony hammered a 2-run double off the wall in center to score Conor Davis and Daniel Robert, then Bowen McGuffin singled through the right side to plate Anthony.
Robert and Anthony had two hits apiece.
South Carolina (18-7, 5-2) got one back in the fifth and scored three unanswered in the sixth to make it 5-4. In the ninth, the Gamecocks put a man on third with one out, but a great play at shortstop by Luke Jarvis and a groundout to Mize preserved the win for the Tigers.
South Carolina starter Will Crowe was charged with his first loss of the season. He pitched six innings with eight hits and five runs allowed. Reliever Reed Scott tossed two scoreless innings to finish the game.
Jacob Olsen and Carlos Cortes each had three hits and one RBI.
Game two between the Tigers and Gamecocks is Saturday at 5 pm CT on ESPNU.