AUBURN | Joseph Gonzalez threw another gem and the Tiger brought out the brooms.

No. 19 Auburn beat South Carolina 2-0 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep, its first over an SEC opponent since the opening series against Tennessee in 2019.

Gonzalez (6-0) won his fourth consecutive conference game holding the Gamecocks without a run on seven hits in 7.0 innings. He struck out four and didn’t issue a walk on 89 pitches.

“Joseph was Joseph,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “He got in a good rhythm today. Maybe the hottest game we’ve played this year. We thought he was more done in the eighth there then maybe the last couple of weeks.”

After being told during a pregame meeting that neither Carson Skipper or Blake Burkhalter would be available out of the bullpen for a third consecutive game, both were at Butch Thompson’s office door immediately afterward and convinced him otherwise.

The Gamecocks opened the eighth with back-to-back singles, bringing on Skipper, who got a strikeout and 6-4-3 double play to end the threat on six pitches. Burkhalter came in to throw a scoreless ninth and earn his third save of the weekend and his SEC-leading 11th of the season.

“We were ready to throw today," said Burkhalter. "We wanted to get out here and get a series sweep. I’m just glad we got to do it. It was a lot of fun.”

In his last three starts, Gonzalez has allowed three earned runs in 24.0 innings.

“With Joseph pitching the way he is, we’re kind of expecting at least seven nowadays and that’s kind of crazy, especially in the SEC,” said Burkhalter. “He’s just been dealing. He’s been competing every pitch and pounding the strike zone.

“That two-seamer has been working really well. Piecing the back-end of games with Skipper was fun. We’re ready to do it every weekend.”

It took a great play from a freshman substitute to preserve the win.

Auburn had to change its lineup just before the game after Bobby Peirce fell ill. His replacement in right field, Mike Bello, made a leaping catch to take away a 2-run home run by Josiah Sightler in the sixth.

“Another sign of a freshman, somebody being prepared,” said Thompson. “I’m not sure we secure a shutout today if he doesn’t make that play in right field.”

The Tigers’ two runs came in the second on a two-out, RBI-double by Nate LaRue and in the fifth on an RBI-single by Blake Rambusch.

Rambusch was 4 of 4 with one RBI and LaRue 2 of 3 with a run scored and one RBI. LaRue was 4 of 8 with a team-best five RBI in the series.

Auburn plays at Jacksonville State Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Tigers return to conference play for a three-game series at No. 1 Tennessee beginning Friday night at 6 p.m.