ARLINGTON, Texas – No. 5 Auburn got back in the win column by defeating previously unbeaten Kansas State, 5-1, in game one at Globe Life Field Friday night.
Staring pitcher Jake Marciano (1-0) earned his first win in an Auburn uniform, turning in 6.0 scoreless innings with no walks and eight strikeouts.
“That’s back-to-back (starts) for Marciano,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “We’ve been very excited about him. He laid good tracks after a tough game for us Tuesday.
“That’s a team that had scored 57 runs in the first four games,” Thompson added. “I just thought it was very important for us to bounce back from Tuesday.”
In two starts to begin the season, Marciano has allowed one run on four hits with no walks and 20 strikeouts.
“It’s a great place to play in. It’s not something everybody gets to do every day,” Marciano said of taking the mound at Globe Life Field. “Obviously, being able to take in the moment, but also being able to just sit back, work on myself and attack hitters.”
After being shutout at home Tuesday night, the offense responded by collecting 11 hits throughout the lineup, with four players accounting for multiple hits.
“Offensively, we just needed a spirit, some fight, if you will,” Thompson added. “We got double digit hits tonight, but I know we’re not locked in swinging the bats yet. We put Bristol Carter in that leadoff spot, and I think that made a difference. It made a difference on the bases. It made a difference in the short game, a slash. I thought I saw some fight to kind of scrap, and we somehow got to five (runs). That was powerful.”
Hitting out of the leadoff spot, Carter reached base three times on a hit and two walks, stole two bases, scored three runs and drove in another.
“I got a lot of gas left in the tank,” Carter said. “I kind of have a different approach this year, and that’s getting to first base any way I can and start causing havoc on the base paths and score any possible way I can. I feel like I’m playing a little kid’s game. It’s just part of my game, going out there and causing havoc.”
Auburn (4-1) jumped out to an early lead with three straight singles followed by a productive fielder’s choice from Chase Fralick, scoring the game’s first run in the top of the first.
Picking up right where he left off after striking out a career-high 12 opening weekend, Marciano retired the first nine Wildcats he faced with six strikeouts the first time through the order.
With Marciano working on the mound, the Tigers doubled their lead in the top of the fifth. Carter drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on an infield single from Bub Terrell. Carter got a good jump to third on a grounder up the middle and never slowed around third as the throw went behind him to the bag.
Marciano retired the last seven batters he faced and ultimately faced just one batter over the minimum in his 6.0 shutout innings. Similar to opening weekend, the sophomore southpaw gave way to Drew Whalen to start the seventh, and the junior right hander turned in 2.0 innings, allowing just an unearned run with a strikeout.
Leading 2-0 in the top of the eighth, Carter reached on his second walk, stole second, advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on a RBI single from Eric Guevara, who later scored on a sacrifice fly from Lucas Steele.
Ethin Bingaman started the ninth inning with a sharply hit single to left, his second hit of the game, and came in to score the game’s final run on a slash bunt from Cater, marking his team-best fifth RBI of the season.
Garrett Brewer entered in relief of Whalen in the ninth and allowed a two-out hit before finishing his second game of the season.
The Tigers turned around for a top-10 showdown with No. 9 Florida State (4-0), who defeated Michigan, 6-1, Saturday at 3 p.m.