AUBURN, Ala. – No. 19 Auburn's pitching staff held Kennesaw State to just four hits while the offense exploded for 14 runs to lead the Tigers to a 14-1 win Wednesday at Plainsman Park.
"I was pleased with every phase of the game tonight," head coach Butch Thompson said. "We passed the baton the way we wanted to tonight with every pitcher."
Konner Copeland (1-0, 0.00) made his second start of the year and began the game in impressive fashion, retiring 10 consecutive batters from the first inning through the fourth before surrendering a single. Copeland tossed four scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one walk and eight strikeouts to secure his first win in an Auburn uniform.
"I felt great," Kopeland said. "I hadn't seen innings like this before, so I just wanted to come out and do the best I could and try to dominate. This win means a lot to me, and I hope to do the same thing with the next opportunity that I get."
At the plate, Auburn (26-12) pushed across six runs in the third inning and added runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh frames to win the midweek matchup.
"Offensively, that third inning, we just clicked in with an approach and started stinging the ball with good at bats," Thompson added. "That inning really settled us tonight."
Every Auburn starter reached base in the win, and Kason Howell, Sonny DiChiara, Cam Hill, Brooks Carlson and Brody Moore collected multiple hits. Moore and Carlson also added home runs and Brody Moss collected his first collegiate hit.
"I think this was a really good win overall," Carlson said. "It looked like everybody was seeing the ball well and we took advantage of when we had players on base."
Tommy Sheehan, Ben Bosse, Hill, Brooks Fuller and Chase Isbell made up the relief effort after Copeland's strong start. Sheehan entered in the fifth and faced the minimum in two innings of work while punching out three. Kennesaw State (22-14) scored an unearned run in the seventh before Fuller and Isbell tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
"Kopeland, Sheehan, Cam Hill, Brooks Fuller, all those guys continue to work, and I just couldn't be more excited about them," Thompson said. "Tonight was a testimony to the amount of work these pitchers put in behind the scenes. Even without being in ballgames, they continue to be sharp and ready to go."
Auburn's big third inning began with a Ryan Dyal walk and singles from Blake Rambusch and Howell to load the bases for the Tigers. DiChiara followed with a two-RBI single to left field to begin the scoring. The Tigers added two more on a double from Hill and sacrifice fly from Bobby Peirce sacrifice fly. The inning was capped off by Moore's solo home run that gave Auburn a 6-0 advantage.
Howell drove a ball off the right field wall for a one-out double to start the fourth inning. Carlson then blasted his third home run of the year over the left field wall to increase Auburn's lead to eight. The graduate-transfer went 2-for-5 with a season-high four RBI.
The Tigers pushed across three more runs in the sixth inning off a RBI single from Carlson and a two-RBI single from Peirce to give Auburn an 11-0 edge.
Kennesaw State scratched across a run in the seventh to move the score to 11-1, but Auburn responded with three more runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame to give the Tigers a 14-1 lead, which proved to be final.
Auburn's 15 hits were the most since Mar. 22 and tied for the second most in a game all season. The team's 14 strikeouts came after striking out 16 batters last night.
Auburn continues a busy week at home with a three-game series against South Carolina (19-17, 6-9 SEC) beginning Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
Strong pitching, high-powered hitting power No. 19 Auburn over Kennesaw State
