Eight-run first propels Auburn over Georgia Tech

Courtesy of Auburn Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn jumped out to an eight-run lead in the first inning and ultimately defeated Georgia Tech 12-8 to improve to 8-1 in midweek games Tuesday night at Plainsman Park.

The Tigers’ eight-run first inning matched the most runs scored in an inning this season, and all nine players in the starting lineup recorded a hit to help the team snap a six-game losing streak.

“It was great. It had been a minute” head coach Butch Thompson of getting back in the win column. “Every time we take the field you want to have success. For these guys, I know things will turn and I know baseball will get back to normal. We got another filled up crowd. We have guys that are still fighting and engaged. I’m tickled to death to see that after we’ve been kicked and beat. Really the man, the woman, the team, the person, at the end of the day if you can create some stamina and don’t go away it will shift back.”

Cooper Weiss homered twice in the game, marking his first multi-homer game as a Tiger and second of his career, and drove in a season high four runs to lead the offense.

“It’s exactly that, we broke the losing streak,” Weiss said of the win. “But it does nothing for us if we don’t use the momentum and come into this weekend prepared. Getting a win is obviously the number one thing every single time we come out, so that’s great.”

Freshmen Eric Guevara and Cale Stricklin drove in a combined five runs. The game marked Guevara’s second straight with multiple RBI and was the first career multi-hit game for Stricklin.

“I’m starting to feel more comfortable at the plate as I see more pitches and get more at bats,” Guevara said. “I’m just trying to have fun out there. It’s been a while since I’ve been out there, so I’m just glad I get to be out there and be playing.”

After Joseph Gonzalez retired Georgia Tech in order on nine pitches in the first, Auburn (19-17) exploded for eight runs on six hits in the home half, all coming with two outs. Back-to-back walks and a single through the right side from Chris Stanfield loaded the bases before Guevara dropped a two-run single into shallow left field. Deric Fabian followed with a RBI single through the left side on the next pitch, and Stricklin made it 5-0 with a two-run double to left center. Weiss capped off the eight-run inning with a three-home homer over the War Eagle Wall in left field, his fourth homer of the season.

Georgia Tech (22-13) got on the scoreboard with a two-out infield single to shortstop in the second and tacked on two more on a two-out, two-RBI double in the third. After Christian Herberholz relieved Gonzalez with runners on the corners and two out in the fourth, a walk loaded the bases before a grand slam cut Auburn’s lead to one.

Herberholz returned to the mound in the fifth and worked a clean frame before giving way to Hayden Murphy (1-0), who set down Georgia Tech in order with two strikeouts in the sixth and ultimately earned his second career win.

Weiss led off the bottom of the inning with his second homer of the game, a 408-foot shot to left field, and the Tigers tacked on two more runs on a bases-loaded walk from Guevara and passed ball to extend the lead to 11-7.

Georgia Tech responded with a leadoff homer from Drew Burress in the seventh, but Drew Nelson entered in relief of Murphy and retired three of the four batters he faced in the frame, including a pair of strikeouts, to maintain the three-run lead.

Cooper McMurray came through with a two-out RBI single in the seventh to answer the Yellow Jackets’ run in the top of the frame. The base hit was McMurray’s team-high third of the game. Stricklin singled earlier in the inning for his second hit of the contest and came around to score.

Cameron Keshock pitched the eighth and ended the inning with a strikeout, and Parker Carlson worked around a two-out single to finish the game in the ninth.

“Those three guys can hopefully continue to get more opportunities because they have hung in there and they showed good tonight,” Thompson said of Murphy, Nelson and Keshock.

The Tigers continue Southeastern Conference play with a road trip to Mississippi State (23-14, 7-8 SEC) for a three-game series Friday through Sunday in Starkville, Mississippi.