AUBURN | Auburn pushed across 28 runs in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep, but the pitching was the real story.

Oscar Gonzalez threw 6.2 scoreless innings in game one followed by Trace Bright’s 6.0 scoreless innings in game two. In total, six AU pitchers combined to hold Rhode Island to six hits and two walks with 21 strikeouts.

With a 16-0 win in game one and a 12-0 win in game two, the Tigers improve to 10-2 on the season.

“Joseph looked like he did when he was in Texas. He was finishing pitches and finished through the plate,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “Had a tough time getting out of the first, but about the third inning he got a little autopilot going and gave it right to Trace.

“Trace was on autopilot from pitch one. That’s about as good as I can remember in a while. It was a pretty high level performance. He wasn’t just throwing and beating bats."

Bright (2-0) allowed just one hit and struck out a career-high eight to earn the win. Cade Granzow threw a perfect seventh to close out the game, which was scheduled for seven innings.

“I feel like I’ve grown in the three years I’ve been here each year, but I think this year was a big leap for me,” said Bright. “The fall is when I really worked on it.”

Auburn put game two away early with nine runs in the first on seven hits, three walks, one hit by pitch, two wild pitches and one balk. Cam Hill had an RBI double and a sac fly, Ryan Dyal a 2-RBI single and RBI double, Cole Foster RBI single, Blake Rambusch a 2-RBI single, Kason Howell a sac fly and an RBI double and Sonny DiChiara an RBI single.

The Tigers added three runs in the third on an RBI double by Howell, sac fly by Hill and an RBI double by Dyal.

In game one, Auburn scored in seven of eight innings and Gonzalez escaped a first-inning jam to hold the Rams to five hits and one walk, striking out a career-high eight to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Tyler Drabick came in to get the final out of seventh, Hill threw a scoreless eighth and Ben Bosse a scoreless ninth.

At the plate, 17 AU hitters combined for 10 hits and 12 walks. Brody Moore was 2 of 3 with three runs scored while Foster, Dyal, Jake Wyandt and Mike Bello drove in two runs apiece.

Rambusch led off the first with a solo home run and Dyal hit a two-run home run in the fourth.

The Tigers did not commit an error in either game.

Auburn will go for the four-game series sweep Sunday at 12:30 p.m. CT on SECN+/ESPN+.