AUBURN, Ala. – Exploding for eight runs in the top of the first inning, No. 4 Auburn blasted five home runs and defeated NC State 17-13 Saturday at Plainsman Park to remain in contention while eliminating the Wolfpack from the NCAA Auburn Regional.
“We’ve got to keep fighting,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “A great mindset today. We’ve got to keep playing offense. (Andreas) Alvarez was a fighter today. This is our last chapter of the season. We’ve got to, or we don’t get to go anymore.”
After Mason McCraine’s leadoff single and the first of three walks to Eric Guevara, Chase Fralick hit a three-run homer over the War Eagle Wall for a 3-0 Auburn lead three batters into the game.
“Chase’s swing got us underway to punch back and punch early today,” Thompson said.
On his way to a four-hit day, Chris Rembert singled with a bunt and later scored on Bub Terrell’s RBI groundout. Ethin Bingaman followed with a solo home run, his 13th of the season, to give Auburn a 5-0 lead.
The Tigers weren’t done, totaling seven hits in the inning and adding three more runs on Taylor Belza’s RBI single, Mason McCraine’s second hit of the inning and Fralick’s RBI groundout.
Auburn made it 10-0 in the top of the second on Cade Belyeu’s two-run home run.
“He’s always ready,” Thompson said of Belyeu. “He’s been through everything and he’s had some huge moments. He’s a difference maker.”
The beneficiary of that robust run support, Auburn starter Andreas Alvarez (10-3) threw 105 pitches on a sweltering afternoon, allowing four earned runs in 5.2 innings en route to becoming the first Auburn pitcher with 10 wins in a season since Casey Mize in 2018.
Auburn’s early 10-run lead was short-lived. NC State (32-24) scored a pair of runs in the second and five unearned runs in the third, capitalizing on two Auburn errors and trimming the Tigers’ lead to 10-7 on Dalton Bargo’s two-run home run.
Auburn (39-20) answered promptly in the top of the fourth when Terrell was hit by a pitch, the fourth straight inning in which the leadoff man reached base. Bingaman followed with his second home run of the game, No. 14 on the season and his third multi-homer game, to put Auburn ahead 12-7.
“Everyone worked together,” said Bingaman, who scored three runs and went 3-for-5 with three RBI. “Go out there and put great swings on the ball. Our team thrives in those moments. It’s a great spot to be in.”
After Alvarez faced the minimum in scoreless fourth and fifth innings, Belyeu joined Bingaman in the double dinger club, homering for the second time in the game and scoring Bingaman, who led off the top of the sixth with a double.
“It felt unbelievable,” said Belyeu, who was 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored. “I’m trying to win for Auburn. Hopefully we can keep the same momentum tomorrow. The pitching staff has been unbelievable all year. When things go wrong, we’ve got to pick them up.”
After Mason McCraine doubled with two outs and Guevara walked, Fralick scored them both with a double to the left-center gap for his fifth and sixth RBI of the game, marking a career high in the category. Rembert singled to right to plate Fralick to give Auburn a five-run inning and a 17-7 lead midway through the sixth.
NC State did not go quietly, chasing Alvarez with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and adding four more in the seventh off a trio of left-handed relievers, Griffin Graves, Garrett Brewer and Jackson Sanders.
Sanders recorded the final seven outs to preserve Auburn’s four-run lead and keep the Tigers’ postseason dreams alive.
Hoping to play two on Sunday, Auburn will face the loser of Saturday evening’s winner’s bracket game between Milwaukee (26-31) and UCF (32-21) at 2 p.m. CT. The winner of Sunday’s matinee will take on the Milwaukee/UCF winner at 7 p.m. CT, hoping to force a winner-take-all matchup on Monday.
“We’ve got a huge day,” Thompson said. “Our whole season is tomorrow.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer