AUBURN | No. 14 Auburn waited a few more innings to blow this one open.
A day after scoring 11 runs in the first against SE Louisiana, the Tigers plated seven in the fourth inning of a 21-7 beatdown of Florida State on day two of the Auburn Regional.
In two games, AU has scored 40 runs on 39 hits including eight doubles, two triples and 10 home runs.
"There’s so many guys contributing in so many ways," said AU coach Butch Thompson. "Played amazing team offense and just played together these two nights. We gave ourselves an opportunity to play for a Regional championship. The atmosphere was amazing again tonight and hopefully it will be that same way tomorrow."
Auburn, 2-0 in the Regional, will play the winner of the elimination game between UCLA and FSU Sunday night at 6 p.m. CT. The Tigers are one win away from advancing to a Super Regional for the third time in the last five years.
FSU had beaten AU in seven consecutive NCAA postseason games coming into Saturday night's matchup.
“It means a lot,” said shortstop Brody Moore, who reached base seven times. “(Coach Thompson) told us Auburn had lost the last however so many, but he also told us to erase it. We had to come out there and compete today. We didn’t take them lightly. We came out the gate swinging and we really like where we’re at right now.”
The Tigers sent 13 batters to the plate in the fourth, plating seven on five hits, four walks, two errors and one wild pitch. Cole Foster drove in a run with a double, Blake Rambusch scored on an error by the shortstop, Brooks Carlson brought home another with a single and Moore drove in two more with a single.
A Kason Howell RBI-double capped the scoring as AU took a decisive 10-1 lead.
AU starter Jospeh Gonzalez (7-2) earned the win allowing three runs on four hits in 6.0 innings. He struck out three and issued four walks on 96 pitches.
“We really enjoy playing behind Joseph,” said Moore. “He’s really fast tempo and we know he’s going to get ground balls and pop ups and we’ve got to be on our toes. That’s who you want to play behind as a defender … and we just really like when he’s on the mound. He’s going to go out and compete for us and give us a chance to win.”
Carson Swilling allowed three runs in 1.0 inning and John Armstrong a run over the final 2.0 innings.
Mike Bello got AU on board in the second on a sacrifice fly and Carlson hit a 2-run home run in the third.
AU added a run in the fifth on an RBI-triple by Moore, four in the seventh on two hits, two walks and two hit batters, one in the eighth on an RBI-double by Moore and five in the ninth on a solo home run by Sonny DiChiara, a 2-run home run by Cam Hill and a 2-RBI triple by Bryson Ware.
Moore was 5 of 5 with four runs scored and a season-high five RBI and Howell 4 of 5 with two runs scored and one RBI. DiChiara was 3 of 5 with five runs scored and Carlson 2 of 5 with three runs scored and three RBI.
The UCLA-FSU game will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.