AUBURN | Staci Belyeu wanted her son to play. It was one of her last wishes before she passed away early Friday morning after a long battle with cancer.

About 12 hours later, Cade Belyeu was rounding the bases with his hand pointing to the sky after sending a home run over the wall in right-centerfield to leadoff the sixth inning.

“That was literally the best thing I’ve ever seen in baseball,” said junior Eric Snow.

Belyeu, who singled in his first at-bat, finished 2 of 4 with two runs scored and one RBI to lead Auburn to a 4-1 win over Holy Cross on the opening night of the season.

“I think it was the most inspiring thing we’ve ever seen,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “Our crowd is just amazing. They absolutely sensed and knew what was going on with him and the ovation for him.

“The home run, that’s just how amazing things happen through this game. We want to honor her and I know Cade played for his mom today. That was the No. 1 thing that happened tonight. Some things are bigger than ball. This was one of those moments.”

Snow and Deric Fabian also had two hits apiece. Snow had a two-RBI double in the second and Fabian an RBI-triple in the eighth.

Three pitchers combined to allow a run on two hits.

Cam Tilly (1-0) earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen allowing one hit and striking out two. Carson Myers picked up the save allowing just one hit over the final 3.0 innings.

AU starter Cade Fisher allowed just one run in 3.1 innings. The Florida transfer didn’t allow a hit, struck out five and issued two walks.

“A lot of timely hitting tonight. Very solid baseball on both sides. A really good start for them, an excellent finish by Carson Myers and a good way to start the season,” said Thompson

The game was played in front of a record crowd of 5,718 in the newly renovated Plainsman Park.

Game two of the series is Saturday at 6 p.m. CT and it concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be carried on SECN+/ESPN+.