AUBURN, Ala. – No 17 Auburn used another offensive explosion as the Tigers defeated Chicago State, 16-2, to clinch the series Saturday afternoon at Plainsman Park.
Ten of Auburn's 18 hits went for extra bases, including seven doubles, one triple and two home runs. The 10 extra-base hits are tied for the most in a game since 2010, and the contest marked the team's fourth game this season with 16 or more runs.
"It's nice to win a series, especially at home, and we accomplished that today," head coach Butch Thompson said. "Our offense was tremendous. I think 10 extra-base hits is the most since 2010, just amazing to see that. We'll come out and try to get a little bit tomorrow and stay hungry and focused."
Rank Woley went 3-for-3 with three runs, four RBI and finished a triple shy of the cycle. The game marked Woley's eighth this season with multiple hits, including his fifth straight. He also matched a season and career high in RBI.
"I was glad that we went out here and took care of business," Woley said. "Jack [Owen] came out and threw strikes. The defense played well. We got some younger guys in big at-bats. We never let off the gas and got a big team win."
Seventeen different position players saw action in the game and 11 finished in the hit column, including five with multiple hits.
Kason Howell matched Woley and a career high with three hits and three RBI while Steven Williams homered for the second straight game and hit a double off the center-field wall.
After Woley got the scoring started with a two-run home run in the second inning, Auburn (12-3) broke the game open with seven runs on eight straight hits in the following frame. Six of the eight hits in the inning went for extra-bases, including five doubles and one triple.
Chicago State (2-13) broke the pitching staff's streak of 24.2 scoreless innings in the top of the fourth, but Williams answered with a solo home run in the home half, and Woley extended the lead to 11-1 with his fourth RBI of the contest later in the frame.
The Cougars scratched another run in the top of the sixth, but Auburn answered for the second time. Nate LaRue started a three-run inning with a two-out double and came in to score on Howell's third hit and RBI of the contest. Howell and Woley scored later in the frame to make it 14-2.
John Samuel Shenker reached in both at-bats after entering in the seventh inning and capped off the scoring with a two-RBI single through the left side in the eighth.
Thirteen of Auburn's 16 runs came with two outs.
Jack Owen (3-1, 3.43) turned in his first quality start en route to earning the win. The junior lefty allowed two runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.
"It's good to get a lead and then you can relax and just focus on throwing strikes," Owen said. "You don't have to be too nit-picky and trying to keep runners from scoring because you have a big lead. It just makes it easy to go out there and attack."
Richard Fitts, Drew Baker and Seb Thomas each tossed a scoreless inning in relief.
The Tigers and Cougars wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.