Ward leads the way as No. 17 Auburn defeats Presbyterian 14-3

AUBURN, Ala. –  After leading the nation in hitting during the shortened 2020 season, the Auburn offense picked up right where it left off as the No. 17 Tigers defeated Presbyterian 14-3 in the season opener at Plainsman Park Friday night.
 
The Tigers recorded the program's most runs and largest margin of victory in a season opener since 2007 in the game.
 
"They've done everything we've asked them to, so I tip my hat to our guys and how they've persevered," head coach Butch Thompson said. "They deserved to have an Opening Day.
 
"I know we have a lot of precautions to keep people back, but we could sense and feel our crowd with the 21 percent capacity or whatever we were working at today, so that was neat," Thompson added.
 
Judd Ward led the offensive attack as he matched a career high in hits and runs, going 4-for-5 with four runs, two RBI and finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
 
"Yeah, I just couldn't wait to get back out there," Ward said. "It's been a long year, just putting in work every day. It's exciting to be back out here."
 
Transfers Bryson Ware and Josh Hall went a combined 5-for-8 with three runs and five RBI in their Auburn debuts. Ware collected three hits and matched Rankin Woley with a team-high four RBI. Hall got the scoring started with a RBI triple and scored a pair of runs.
 
"Yeah, it was nice having those guys getting on in front of me, getting a chance to drive them in," Ward added. "I just happened to be at the plate and was able to put a good swing on it."
 
Closer-turned-starter Cody Greenhill (1-0, 3.60) made the first start of his collegiate career and earned the win in a 5.0-inning effort. The senior right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits with one walk and matched a career high with six strikeouts.
 
"Cody just got us off to a great start," Thompson said. "I wished he could have finished and passed the baton to the first reliever, (Brooks) Fuller, a little bit better to close out the fifth, but I just thought coming out and pumping strikes with no time in between pitches, I thought he got us off to a tremendous start."
 
"I was just trying to come in and throw strikes and get us off to a good start, like Coach Thompson said," Greenhill added. "It was crazy being back out there. The fans were great and they showed up and we could hear them man, it was awesome."
 
After Greenhill tossed a nine-pitch first and worked around a one-out double in the second, the Auburn offense came to life with its first of three four-run innings highlighted by Ward's two-run homer. Hall started the scoring with the aforementioned triple and Brody Moore drove him in with a single back up the middle.
 
Presbyterian got on the scoreboard after an error and wild pitch in the top of the fourth, but Auburn answered as Ware ripped his second single to left field and drove in a pair.
 
Again, the Blue Hose answered back on a two-run homer in the top of the fifth, but Auburn responded with four runs on two bases-loaded walks, a hit-by-pitch and RBI groundout an inning later.
 
The Tigers bullpen combination of Brooks Fuller, Seb Thomas, Carson Swilling and Trace Bright threw an inning a piece and held Presbyterian scoreless in the final four frames. Swilling tossed a three-up, three-down inning with a strikeout in his Auburn debut.
 
With the bullpen working, the Tigers put on the finishing touches with a four-run seventh. Ware drove in his fourth run of the game on a single up the middle and Woley hit a no-doubt, three-run home run over the wall in left field to make it an 11-run ballgame.
 
The two teams turn around to play the middle game of the three same series tomorrow at 2 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park.