April 30, 2017
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STARKVILLE, Miss. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Jeremy Johnson had a career-best three hits and Dylan Ingram hit a 2-run homer as No. 5 Auburn baseball knocked off eighth-ranked Mississippi State 5-3 to take the series and sweep a doubleheader Saturday night at Dudy Noble Field.
"Long day but productive. It's about the resilience of our guys," Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. "I don't want to coin a new phrase right now but we just battled. We threw some punches.
"Casey Mize out, [Luke] Jarvis and Daniel Robert didn't play in the last game, but I think it adds layers to our team. It shows that we are really a team. Dylan Ingram stayed on his approach against the school he started at."
Auburn (32-14, 14-7) has won six of seven series in SEC play in 2017. The victory moved Auburn into a tie with MSU for both the SEC West and overall league lead. The doubleheader sweep was the first for Auburn in SEC play since taking two with Alabama in 2011.
The Tigers plated five for a 5-0 lead in the fourth on a 2-run single from Conor Davis, a 2-run laser home run to left by Dylan Ingram and Jeremy Johnson's RBI double. The homer was Ingram's team-best seventh of the season.
Mississippi State (30-16, 14-7) got on the board in the fourth with a RBI single by Harrison Bragg.
Andrew Mitchell allowed one run on six hits over 4.1 innings in his first SEC start in more than a year. He struck out three with three walks.
Elliott Anderson (1-0) pitched a career-long 2.1 innings with one run allowed on four hits. Calvin Coker pitched the final 2.1 innings with one run allowed for his second save.
The Bulldogs got a run in the seventh inning on a RBI single by Eli MacNamee to cut Auburn's lead to 5-2. A solo homer by Brent Rooker in the ninth
Rooker had three hits including his 19th home run. Bragg tied his career high with three hits.
Jacob Billingsley (1-1) allowed three runs in three innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
Auburn is off in the midweek due to final exams. The Tigers host Alabama for three games at Plainsman Park next weekend beginning Friday at 6 pm CT.