AUBURN | Auburn continued its late-season surge.
The 5th-ranked Tigers swept South Carolina in a doubleheader at Plainsman Park Friday, winning game one in an 11-10 walk-off and game two 11-3 to complete a series sweep.
With Thursday night’s 24-2 win, Auburn scored a program-record 46 runs for a three-game SEC series.
"I think we're more offensive than we had been during certain stints of the season," said AU coach Butch Thompson. "I was optimistic that it was coming — and I'm not talking about a series like this. These are ones that you'll remember forever, when you play offense like this. But I do think you see how many guys can absolutely contribute in this lineup. We saw that all weekend long."
Auburn, which has won seven of its last nine conference games, improves to 36-15 overall and 16-11 in the SEC. AU is now 12-3 in home league games and has won seven of nine SEC series this season.
Tied 10-10 in the bottom of the ninth of game one, Eric Guevara laid down a safety squeeze bunt to score pinch-runner Bub Terrell from third base for the walk-off win.
"I didn’t think I was going to get the sign to bunt. I was doing pretty good on the weekend," said Guevara. "I just said ‘I’ve got to get it down.’ He threw a pitch middle-middle and it was pretty easy to get it down. After that it was just having fun with the boys and celebrate the win."
Auburn trailed 8-7 after giving up three runs in the top of the sixth, but struck for three in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Cooper McMurray and a two-run home run by Lucas Steele.
Carson Myers held USC scoreless over 2.0 innings but Ryan Hetzler gave up a run in the eighth and another in the ninth to tie the game 10-all. Hetzler (1-0) earned the win allowing the two runs on three hits and a walk in 2.0 innings.
AU starter Samuel Dutton allowed a season-high five runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings. John Armstrong allowed three runs on four hits in 1.0 inning.
Griffin Graves (4-1) earned the win in game two throwing 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He allowed two hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out four.
Dylan Watts finished the game with 3.2 scoreless innings for his second save of the season. He allowed one hit and struck out four.
"We really had a tough time with South Carolina," said Thompson. "They were in swing mode, swung early. They got leadoff men on it felt like for the first 10, 11, 12 innings. I just thought we made our mark on the mound once Graves got in the ballgame. I thought Grave and Dylan Watts were amazing."
McMurray provided the big hit in game two with a three-run home run well over the wall in right-center, the 40th of his AU career.
Game two starter Christian Chatterton allowed three runs on four hits in 2.0 innings.
In the two games combined, Guevara was 8 of 10 with a double, home run and four RBI, Steele 6 of 8 with a double, two home runs and four RBI, Chris Rembert 5 of 8 with a home run and three RBI, Ike Irish 4 of 9 with two RBI, Terrell 2 of 5 with a home run and two RBI and McMurray 2 of 9 with a home run and three RBI.
"I feel like this weekend we clicked as a whole," said Steele. "Everybody in the lineup was doing a part, whether that was walking or getting hit by a pitch, hitting a homer, we all put it together. It’s just a really good feeling."
Auburn hosts Jacksonville State Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT on SECN+/ESPN+, and closes out the regular season with a three-game series at No. 18 Ole Miss beginning Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.
