ARLINGTON, Texas – Auburn was in complete control from start to finish in a 12-1 win against Kansas State to close out the State Farm College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas, Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers struck early and often, scoring one in the first, three in the third, two in the fourth and five in the fifth to jump out to a 11-1 lead. The top four hitters reached base 13 times and scored nine runs through the first five frames.
"I finally felt like we settled in a little bit," head coach Butch Thompson said of the team's offensive approach. "I thought we got a little charge out of two guys who hadn't been in the lineup for two days. We got a little boost."
The two newcomers to the lineup Sunday, Brayton Brown and Nate LaRue, accounted for five RBI in the game, including driving in the first four runs.
"Those are two guys who hadn't had an at-bat this weekend who came in and got us going a little bit," Thompson added. "I feel like we relaxed and had some good at-bats."
Four players collected multiple hits, led by three from Blake Rambusch and two apiece from Sonny DiChiara, Ryan Dyal and Josh Hall. Dyal drove in a career high three and Brown matched a career best with three of his own.
Auburn (2-1) wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as Rambusch started the game with a single and came around to score on a sacrifice fly to deep left field from LaRue after back-to-back hit by pitches.
However, Kansas State (0-3) answered right back after putting a runner on third with nobody out and tying it on a two-out single in the bottom of the frame.
The Tigers reclaimed the lead in the third, loading the bases with a pair of hits and a walk followed by LaRue's second sacrifice fly of the game. Later in the inning, Auburn increased its lead to 4-1 on a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI single back up the middle from Brown.
The offense continued to click in the fourth as Rambusch and DiChiara collected their second hits of the game and Brody Moore drew a walk in between the two to load the bases with nobody out. Dyal then drew a hit-by-pitch and Kason Howell drove in another on a ground ball to make it 6-1.
Hall showed off his speed and got a five-run fifth inning started by stealing home, marking the first time an Auburn player has done so since 2010. Dyal hit a two-RBI single back up the middle before Cole Foster and Brown were hit by pitches with the bases loaded to extend the lead to 10.
Howell drew another bases loaded hit by pitch in the sixth to increase the lead to 12-1 and cap off the scoring for the Tigers. Auburn drew eight hit by pitches in the game, including four with the bases loaded.
"Being able to cycle up and get up for a 6:45 a.m. pregame meal and come out here and play a good, solid baseball game and not having the mental breakdown," Thompson said. "I like that. I like the mental toughness."
In addition to the offensive onslaught, Auburn's pitching staff turned in its third straight productive day on the mound. Trace Bright (1-0, 0.00) earned the win as he pitched five innings and allowed one unearned run with two walks and five strikeouts. Bright faced the minimum in the second, third and fourth innings and retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced after allowing the RBI single in the first. The junior righty held the Wildcats hitless in his last four-plus innings.
Freshman righty Chase Allsup relieved Bright to start the sixth and struck out the side in his collegiate debut, while Mason Barnett worked a scoreless seventh inning by inducing three ground balls.
Freshman Cade Granzow also made his collegiate debut in the eighth and worked a scoreless frame after allowing a leadoff single. Carson Swilling entered in the ninth and worked an efficient 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout.
Auburn pitchers didn't allow a hit from the time there were two outs in the first until the eighth inning and retired 24 of the last 28 batters they faced in the game.
The Tigers allowed just five runs (four earned) in 26 innings of work on the mound this weekend.
Auburn returns to Plainsman Park for the home opener against Troy (3-0) Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT.
Tigers dominate Kansas State to close out Opening Weekend
