AUBURN, ALABAMA (EETV)- The Auburn Tigers won 7-2 on Friday night to begin their four-game series against the Rhode Island Rams. The Tigers now have an 8-2 record on the season.
Auburn continues with another impressive hitting performance from Bryson Ware, Sony DiChiara, and Kason Howell. Ware keeps his hitting streak going with three hits on the night and DiChiara went 2-for-4 and had two RBIs and a home run, Howell had another solid night going 3-for-5 with one RBI.
"We did enough things right to win this one," head coach Butch Thompson said.
The Rams got on the board quickly, scoring runs in the first and second innings making the score 2-0 in the bottom of the second. Jordan Armstrong was able to shut out the bottom of the second inning with the bases loaded allowing only two runs.
After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning, Sony DiChiara tied the game 2-2 in the third inning with a massive home run over the left-field wall. DiChiara hit his fifth home run of the season, launching the ball 411 feet.
"The way Sonny is swinging the bat, my and Blake [Rambusch's] job is to just get on base," Howell said.
Going into the fourth inning Carson Skipper started a great night allowing no runs and no hits. In the bottom of the fourth. Ware was able to keep the heat on with a leadoff double down the third baseline. Auburn took a 3-2 lead when he scored on a passing ball.
Ryan Deal would add another score in the sixth inning on a SAC fly that brought in Brody Moore. Cole Foster's only hit of the night came in the form of a two-run double, extending Auburn's advantage to 5-2.
Auburn's last runs came in the eighth inning on a big deal double to left field that advanced him to first, Foster gets walked allowing Deal to advance to second and foster to first. Blake Rambusch enters the game and hits a line drive to center field, allowing Deal to score and bringing the score to 6-2. With the score at 6-2, Kason Howell would single to center, allowing Foster to score the final run.
Auburn's pitching staff pitched a complete game, allowing only eight hits. Blake Burkhalter and Carson Skipper combined for eight strikeouts. Skipper retired the first six hitters he faced. In addition to his impressive pitching effort, Burkhalter was able to notch three straight strikeouts.
Auburn has a busy weekend ahead of them, starting with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and game two, a seven-inning affair will begin around 45 minutes after the first game ends.
