Julien knocks in two to lead Auburn to win in opener
Junior National Team alum Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) had two hits, two runs and two RBIs to help Auburn defeat Georgia Southern in their season opener on Friday. File Photo
By George Nunnelley
Auburn Athletics
Auburn triumphs in opener against Georgia Southern
AUBURN, Ala. – No. 15 Auburn opened the 2019 season with an 11-2 win behind an efficient night on the mound and a balanced attack at the plate against Georgia Southern Friday night at Plainsman Park.
The win was the Tigers’ ninth straight win on Opening Day and improves Auburn to 55-16 in season openers since 1949.
"I thought our guys battled," head coach Butch Thompson said. "Elliott Anderson, just watching him as a junior, how he's grown. He's really tightened up the slider. He's starting to play with the breaking ball and staying on the plate a little bit more. It was a really good sign for Elliott."
Anderson (1-0, 0.00) came on for starter Davis Daniel in the third inning and matched a career high in innings pitched (4.0) and strikeouts (seven). The Cartersville, Georgia, native allowed just two hits while improving his career record to 7-0.
“I just tried to clean up my mechanics. It was kind of herky-jerky, I guess you could say. This year, I’m just trying to clean it up and smooth it up.”
Freshman Carson Skipper earned the three-inning save in his Auburn debut. The left-hander allowed just three hits with a strikeout and one walk. The Auburn pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts and issued just one walk.
The Tigers got to Georgia Southern starter Seth Shuman (0-1, 21.00) early as a five-run first set the tone for the rest of the game. Conor Davis put Auburn out in front with a RBI single to center field and Kason Howell drove the first pitch he saw in his first collegiate at-bat through the right side for a RBI single.
“Ryan Bliss and Kason Howell just worked at-bats,” Thompson said. “They got down. They got to two strikes, and they just battled a ton.”
Auburn’s newcomers accounted for half of the team’s eight hits and drove in six runs. Bliss and Rankin Woley each drove in a pair of runs in their Auburn debut, while Howell and Matt Scheffler recorded a hit and RBI apiece.
“I’ve been waiting on this day for a really long time,” Bliss said. “To finally put on this jersey officially, it felt great. Finally being an Auburn Tiger after being committed here for two years, just to make it to Opening Day, words can’t explain how I felt out there. There were some butterflies, but after all it’s just baseball so it was amazing.”
Coming off his freshman All-American campaign a season ago, Edouard Julien tied for the team lead with two hits and two RBI. The Quebec City native also scored a pair of runs. Junior shortstop Will Holland also collected a hit and scored three runs.
Auburn and Georgia Southern are scheduled to play game two of the three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park. Sophomore Tanner Burns will toe the rubber opposite Georgia Southern freshman left-hander Braden Hays.