Bombs Away Tigers blast Gamecocks

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Bombs Away Tigers blast Gamecocks in runrule victory

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama—Auburn got home runs from Ike Irish, Chris Stanfield, Mason Maners and Cooper McMurray as the Tigers blasted Jacksonville State 13-3 in seven innings to improve to 16-8 heading to Texas A&M for a three-game series beginning Thursday night. 

Getting the start, Christian Herberholz allowed three earned runs on five hits in four innings to pick up the win for the Tigers. Dylan Watts, Alex Petrovic and Zach Crotchfelt finished things off with a scoreless inning each to secure the win. At the plate, Irish, Stanfield and Javon Hernandez all had two hits for the Tigers as they finished with 10 total hits. 

Things got started on the wrong foot for Herberholz and the Tigers as a leadoff infield single and a two-run home run from Caleb Johnson gave the Gamecocks the early 2-0 lead. Auburn answered back in the bottom of the first with the solo home run from Irish. Jacksonville State added a single run in the third to lead 3-1, but Auburn would break it open with a pair of big innings to take full control of this one.

"Good back-to-back games with some big innings," coach Butch Thompson said. "McMurray has gotten going a little bit the last two days. I thought he won the ballgame the other day and then he absolutely, it was a big blow in this ballgame tonight for sure. We hit a few home runs and bunted again and stole some bases. I don't think we're one-dimensional. I think we have the potential to do some damage. I think we're better when someone is bouncing around on the bases and we can get a bunt down. I think we're hopefully getting closer to realizing what our identity is and what playing full, complete offense is. I did feel good about the big innings for back-to-back games."

Stanfield would get it started in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to left to bring Auburn to within one. With runners on first and third later in the inning, Irish went the other way with a single to tie the game, but they were just getting started. With Cooper Weiss at second and Irish at first, a double steal moved both into scoring position. Later in the frame, McMurray was walked with two outs to give the Tigers a chance to add to the lead.

Going to the bench, Auburn assistant Gabe Gross called on Carter Wight and the catcher came through with a double to right to score two and put the Tigers in front by two. That brought Maners to the plate with a chance to do more.

Facing his old team, Maners was hitless in his first two at-bats and had left runners on base both times. He made his third opportunity pay off, blasting his fifth home run of the season over the wall in right field to make it 8-3 Tigers.

"I was just trying to do a job," Maners said. "I'd probably say I did a better job my third at-bat of just trying to do a job. Because my other two, the moment got a little big. I wanted to do something big here and like coach Thompson said, I need to just stay focused on my opposite-field approach. I did that on my third at-bat and a better outcome happened."

Firmly in control, Auburn broke the game open one inning later. With a pair of runners on base following an Irish sacrifice fly to give the Tigers a six-run lead, a walk to Bobby Peirce loaded the bases for McMurray with one out in the fifth inning.

Fouling off three pitches with two strikes, the big first baseman got a fastball over the inside-half of the plate and smashed it over the wall in right field for the grand slam. It was McMurray's 10th home run of the season and gave the Tigers a 10-run cushion.

Scoreless innings from Petrovic and Crotchfelt would secure the run-rule victory for the Tigers. Auburn returns to action this weekend when the Tigers travel to face No. 4 Texas A&M in a three-game series beginning Thursday night.