AUBURN, Ala. – No. 21 Auburn matched a season-high with four home runs en route to defeating Jacksonville State 13-3 in seven innings Tuesday night at Plainsman Park.
Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, Auburn (16-8) scored 12 unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth frames, highlighted by a go-ahead, two-run double from Carter Wright, three-run homer from Mason Maners and grand slam from Cooper McMurray.
"The offense woke up with 12 runs in two innings," head coach Butch Thompson said. "Ike Irish has been so consistent, and Cooper McMurray the last couple of games has absolutely been the star and led us."
McMurray and Irish combined for a pair of homers and drove in seven runs in the game. The grand slam marked McMurray's team-best 10th homer of the season, including his second grand slam.
"I was just trying to get the job done and help the guys win," McMurray said. "Fortunately enough I was able to foul off some tough pitches, probably some pitches that I probably should have hit and just missed. I was able to get on top of one and poke it out of here."
Christian Herberholz made his second straight midweek start and earned the win in 4.0 innings. After allowing a two-run homer on the fifth pitch of the game, Herberholz (1-1) settled himself by retiring seven straight batters with five strikeouts. The right hander finished his outing with a career high seven strikeouts.
"I'm really glad he stayed out there for four innings for us. He absolutely steadied himself," Thompson said on Herberholz's performance after the weather interruption. "I thought his second inning was outstanding. He got a little bit of rhythm and tempo going."
The Tigers (16-8) improved to 6-0 in midweek games this season with the win.
Jacksonville State (9-15) jumped out to the early lead on the two-run homer before a 39-minute rain delay halted the game just six minutes in. Following the delay, Herberholz struck out the first five batters he faced.
The Tigers answered on Irish's solo homer in the bottom of the first, extending his hit streak to 11 games. The home run was Irish's eighth home run of the season, including his second in as many games.
Trailing by two, Chris Stanfield started the fourth inning with a solo homer to left center, his second of the season, and Auburn tied the game on a RBI single from Irish. After an intentional walk to McMurray with two outs, Wright stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and delivered the go-ahead, two-run double to right center. Mason Maners followed four pitches later with a three-run home run to right center, extending Auburn's lead to 8-3.
Dylan Watts relieved Herberholz in the top of the fifth and turned in a clean inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Auburn's offense went back to work in the bottom of the frame, scoring on a sacrifice fly from Irish, his third RBI of the game, before McMurray blew things open with his grand slam 422 feet into the night sky. After managing three hits in the first three innings, Auburn sent 18 batters to the plate in the fourth and fifth frames.
Alex Petrovic and Zach Crotchfelt each turned in a scoreless inning in the sixth and seventh, combining to strikeout five Gamecocks as Auburn matched a season high with 14 strikeouts in the contest.
Auburn continues Southeastern Conference play with a three-game series at No. 4 Texas A&M (21-3) Thursday through Saturday in College Station, Texas.
Four homers power No. 21 Auburn past Jacksonville State
