March 31, 2019

By George Nunnelley

Auburn Athletics

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 12 Auburn used a pair of home runs in a six-run second inning to get out to an early lead and defeat South Carolina, 7-5, and win the series Sunday at Founders Park.

The series win was Auburn’s (22-6, 6-3 SEC) third straight against the Gamecocks (17-11, 2-7 SEC) and its second straight on the road. It marks the first time in program history for both occasions.

“(South Carolina) is a team that was in a super regional last year and is a perennial, tradition power,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “For us to play in the venues we’ve played in the last two weeks and to go 3-3 has been a grind. I thought our guys really had some grit today. It’s just huge for us to get a win on the road.”

After falling behind, 1-0, in the first inning, Will Holland and Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) highlighted a six-run frame with a two-run and three-run home run, respectively.

The Tigers never looked back from there as freshman Richard Fitts (2-0, 3.50) held the Gamecocks at bay with five scoreless innings in relief en route to earning his first career SEC win.

“I was just trying to get some outs early in the count and not get behind,” Fitts said. “I just wanted to get some 1-2-3 outs and get our hitters back in the dugout ready to hit.”

Starting pitcher Carson Skipper did a good job to limit South Carolina to one run with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the first. The freshman southpaw used a strikeout and popup to escape the jam.

The Tigers exploded for six runs in the top of the second thanks to the aforementioned home runs from Holland and Julien. Conor Davis drew a hit-by-pitch before Holland got the scoring started with a two-run home run off the batter’s eye in center field – his first of the season. After Kason Howell battled with two strikes and sent a RBI single back up the middle, Julien capped off the inning with a three-run home run into the Gamecocks bullpen – his sixth of the year.

“All of the work and preparation we do in practice is starting to pay off,” Howell said. “It really is just sticking to your approach and not trying to do too much or too little. Good things happen when you keep it simple up there at the plate.”

South Carolina responded with back-to-back doubles to start the bottom of the frame, and Fitts entered in relief of Skipper. The Gamecocks later scored on a RBI ground out to cut the lead to 7-3.

However, Fitts faced just four batters over the minimum in the next four innings to maintain the advantage. The freshman right-hander allowed just three hits with two walks and two strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a run in his last nine innings pitched.

Left-hander Bailey Horn relieved Fitts to start the seventh and worked a perfect frame, but South Carolina cut the lead to 7-5 with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Cody Greenhill entered in relief following the two home runs and recorded the final four outs to secure his sixth save of the season and second of the series. Greenhill worked around back-to-back singles to start the ninth and retired the next three batters he faced to end the game.

Offensively, Howell collected two hits for the third straight game and has multiple hits in four of the last five contests. Rankin Woley joined Howell with a pair of hits in the contest.

The Tigers return to Plainsman Park for four games next week beginning with a midweek contests against Georgia Tech (18-9, 6-5 ACC) Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT.