AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn swept Saturday's doubleheader against Rhode Island with two shutouts. The Tigers won game one, 16-0, and turned around to win a seven-inning game two, 12-0, at Plainsman Park.
"A good day today gives us an opportunity to get a sweep on the weekend for the first time this season," head coach Butch Thompson said. "We need to keep challenging ourselves for consistency tomorrow."
Starting pitchers Joseph Gonzalez (2-0, 1.84) and Trace Bright (2-0, 0.00) earned the wins while combining for 12.2 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts and one walk.
"Both guys were great," Thompson said. "Joseph got out of the first, and then he kind of got on that autopilot and just started pitching. Trace kind of started on autopilot. One of the best performances I can remember in a while."
"Defense played great behind me. I got in a good rhythm and was just in cruise control," Bright added.
Offensively, Auburn (10-2) scored 28 runs on 21 hits in the two games. Ryan Dyal led the way from the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double, home run and five RBI in the doubleheader.
"Ryan Dyal keeps swinging the bat. He looks like he's settling in pretty good," Thompson said. "We're playing our offense and having big innings. We're starting to score runs."
Blake Rambusch matched Dyal with three hits on the day, and five others ultimately collected multiple hits.
GAME ONE
Gonzalez turned in a career-best outing in game one, going 6.2 scoreless innings and striking out eight batters, both career highs. The right-hander allowed five hits and issued just one walk.
After allowing two base runners to start the game, Gonzalez retired eleven straight from the second until the fifth inning. His start was ultimately the longest by any pitcher for Auburn this season.
The Tigers scored in six straight innings to start the game, and seven out of nine starters recorded a hit. Brody Moore led the team, going 2-for-3 with two doubles.
After Gonzalez escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first, Rambusch got the offense started with a leadoff home run, his second of the season. Cole Foster drove in runs with an RBI single in the second and a bases-loaded walk in the third, and Jake Wyandt recorded a two-RBI single later in the frame, extending the lead to 5-0.
Dyal continued the scoring in the fourth by bringing in graduate transfer Brooks Carlson, making his first start in an Auburn uniform, with a two-run home run to make it a 7-0 ballgame. The homer was Dyal's first of the season.
Rambusch scored on an RBI-fielder's choice from Kason Howell in the fifth, and the Tigers continued to light up the scoreboard with three in the sixth, providing further insurance in today's win.
Making his first plate appearance in the eighth, Brody Moss lifted a sacrifice fly to right and Nate LaRue followed with one of his own to center to extend the lead to 14-0. Mike Bello drove in his first career runs on a two-RBI double to cap off the scoring in the contest.
Following Gonzalez, Tyler Drabick, Cam Hill and Ben Bosse saw action in relief, and each contributed one strikeout in today's shutout, pushing Auburn's total to 11.
GAME TWO
Auburn came out swinging in game two, scoring nine runs in the bottom of the first. Six of the nine starters recorded hits in the frame, including a pair from Cam Hill, and the team sent 14 to the plate before the third out was recorded.
Hill began the scoring for the Tigers with an RBI double, bringing in Rambusch and advancing Sonny Dichiara to third. Dichiara later scored on a wild pitch to double the lead. Dyal and Rambusch each turned in two-RBI singles in the nine-run frame, and Foster had an RBI for the 10th time in 12 games this season.
Scoring continued in the third with back-to-back doubles by Rambusch and Howell. A sacrifice fly by Hill brought in Howell from third, Dyal later doubled to drive in his fifth run of the day and extend the lead to the eventual final of 12-0.
Auburn sent 26 batters to the plate in the first three innings. Rambusch, Hill, and Dyal all recorded two hits, including a double, in game two.
Bright held a no-hitter through 5.1 innings before a one-out single in the sixth broke it up. The lone baserunner he allowed until that point came on a strike three wild pitch.
Bright's eight strikeouts in the contest marked a career best, and his six innings matched a career high for the second straight week. The junior righty hasn't allowed an earned run in three starts and 17.0 innings this season.
Freshman Cade Granzow came in to close in the seventh, facing only three batters and striking out two. The game was Auburn's first one-hitter since Tanner Burns and Cody Greenhill held Chicago State to one hit on Mar. 6, 2020.
Auburn is set to play Rhode Island (0-9) tomorrow for the final game of the series at 12:30 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park. Hayden Mullins (1-1, 8.31) is scheduled to start on the mound for the Tigers.