Tigers maul the Bulldogs

AUBURN | No. 15 Auburn erupted for 14 hits including three home runs in a 19-5 win over Alabama A&M Tuesday night at Plainsman Park.

The Tigers improve to 23-7 overall, scoring the most runs since tallying 21 against BYU March 3.

Edouard Julien was 3-of-3 with two doubles, his sixth home run of the season, three RBI and five runs scored. Brett Wright was 2-of-4 with a three-run home run, his seventh of the season, and Brendan Venter hit his fifth home run, a solo shot in the second.

“I thought we did not swing at balls tonight,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “I thought we had our at-bats, did our at-bats. That looks like us.

“Edouard Julien hammered a ball to right, he hammered a ball off the monster and he hammered a ball to straight away centerfield."

Will Holland and Conor Davis had two hits and two RBI apiece while Josh Anthony was 1-of-2 with two RBI.

Auburn is up to 31 home runs, surpassing last season’s total of 30 with 26 regular season games left.

Seven Alabama A&M pitchers combined to allow 13 walks, three wild pitches, two hit batters and one balk.

The Tigers used eight pitchers including Andrew Mitchell and Cody Greenhill. Mitchell, who has been sidelined since Feb. 27 with a sore arm, started and allowed one run on two hits in 1.0 inning. Greenhill, who has been out since March 10 with mononucleosis, threw a scoreless ninth.

Elliott Anderson (4-0) earned the win holding the Bulldogs without a hit in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen.

“I’m just glad to see them in uniform and on the field,” Thompson said. “In respect to Andrew, velocity is not everything but I saw 91 and I thought the ball came out of his hand really good. When they wake up tomorrow, we’ll know more.

“Cody Greenhill, he impresses me with his ability to shove the ball in the strike zone and get mishits on his fastball.”

Auburn returns to conference play this weekend with a three-game series at No. 9 Arkansas. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on SECN+ and WatchESPN.