AUBURN, ALABAMA (EETV)- Auburn’s offense was the key to a big home opener win against the Troy Trojans on Wednesday night. With the win the Tigers move to 3-1 on the season and is the second straight game the Tigers have scored over 12 runs.
Bryson Ware had a total of six RBIs beating his previous record of five for last season’s opener. Ware was also able to tack on a 1st-inning grand slam giving Auburn the lead over the Trojans 4-1.
“Ware just gets us started off, especially after going down one to nothing. So you want somebody to cash in and Ware got that for us with a huge swing.” Thompson said.
Sony DiChiara was also able to crush a 431-foot home run in the bottom of the second to increase the score by three to give Auburn the 7-1 lead over the Trojans.
“Sony’s done good for his career and now I'm glad he's in an Auburn uniform, 21 home runs, 18 home runs.,” Thompson said. “He brings something to us and it's not just at-bats. He doesn't just have power. He knows the strike zone, he thinks the game and he just has this infectious natural personality. When he smiles, you smile.”
After going scoreless in the third, the Tigers come into the fourth scoring another three runs off of a DiChiara SAC fly allowing Blake Rambusch to score, giving Auburn the 8-1 lead, Ware goes on another tangent hitting a ball deep right field to allow Brody Moore and Ryan Dyal to add on two more runs.
Coach Thompson mentioned that “ he liked the SAC fly” because “ Rambusch stole the pitch before, that’s not a run producer if Rambusch doesn’t. We got to play the offense together as a unit. So I really like that.”
The final three runs would come in the sixth inning with Cole Foster stepping in and ripping a two-run double to usher in the Auburn runners, extending the margin to what would be the final 13-1. The Tigers' success on Wednesday was also due to their pitching. Graduate-transfer Tommy Sheehan started off slow, issuing back-to-back walks, Sheehan was able to rebound and only allow one Troy score in the opening inning before retiring the next seven Trojans he faced. After relieving Sheehan, Auburn Tigers pitcher Hayden Mullins had a huge game, tossing two shutout innings and earning the victory.
“Sheehan started laying good tracks and I believe in him so much,” Thompson said. “I think our team does too. We believe in him so much we want to get him going. So try not to force anything. Hayden Mullins tried to scrap curveballs versus left-handers and his slider looked pretty good tonight, that adjustment and he got us a couple of clean innings.”
The Tigers will welcome Yale for a three-game series at Plainsman Park this weekend, with their first game at 6:00 p.m. CST on Friday.
