AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn executed on the mound, in the field and at the plate in an 11-1 run-rule victory against Florida A&M Tuesday at Plainsman Park.
The pitching duo of Chase Allsup and Cam Tilly held the Rattlers to one run on two hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts, while the defense turned in a clean game behind them and the offense provided support with 11 runs on 11 hits from nine different players.
"Their stuff was absolutely set today," head coach Butch Thompson said of Allsup and Tilly. "I know it's different sometimes on a Tuesday than it is on the weekend, but I think their stuff set will play competitively on the weekend like what we've been used to in the past. They were good. That is why they got out there today is to keep trying to find, develop and get your stuff set, and they both accomplished that."
Allsup struck out a career high eight batters in 5.0 innings and didn't allow a baserunner until the fourth inning and hit until the fifth inning. He passed the baton to Tilly, who sat down all six batters he faced with four strikeouts.
"The biggest thing we've been working on in bullpens is balancing the ball on both sides of the plate," Allsup said. "That's been a really challenging thing so far, and to be able to come out here and produce like we were wanting is a really big thing."
After Allsup retired the first nine batters he faced with five strikeouts, Auburn's offense came to life with eight runs on five hits, four walks and a hit batter in the bottom of the third.
"We were trying to pass it to the next person," Wright said of the offense's approach. "I don't think anyone was trying to get the big hit. Everybody was just trying to find barrels, and they were falling for us."
The Tigers started the scoring with a bases-loaded balk, and Kaleb Freeman drove in the other two baserunners with a double down the left field line. Playing for the first time in the last two weeks, Caden Green drove in another run with a single to left before Cooper Weiss cleared the bases with a double down the left field line. Cooper McMurray then doubled down the opposite line to cap off the eight-run frame, matching the most runs in an inning this season.
Florida A&M got on the scoreboard after a leadoff single, wild pitch and two-out RBI double in the fifth, but that's the last Rattler that would reach.
Tilly set down the first three batters he faced in the sixth with two strikeouts on 10 pitches, and the offense added a run on a sacrifice fly from Chris Stanfield in the home half.
After the freshman right hander again breezed through Florida A&M with two more strikeouts on 13 pitches in the seventh, Christian Hall hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the frame to make it 10-1 and Eric Guevara hit a single back up the middle to score McMurray and end the game early.
Between Allsup and Tilly, 70 of Auburn's 103 pitches in the game were for strikes.
McMurray led the way with a pair of hits and reached base five times while driving in his team-best 49th run of the season. Wright matched McMurray with two hits, marking his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
Auburn (20-20, 2-16 SEC) continues Southeastern Conference play with a road trip to LSU (25-16, 5-13 SEC) from Friday through Sunday this weekend.
Auburn executes in all aspects in run-rule victory over Florida A&M
