ORLANDO, Fla. – No. 15 Auburn defeated UCF, 13-9, and claimed the series win behind a season high in runs and hits Sunday afternoon at John Euliano Park
The win marked Auburn's 12th straight series win in non-conference play dating back to the beginning of the 2016 season. The team is now 25-6 against non-conference opponents on the weekend since the start of the 2017 season.
"Answering today, it was one of those back-and fourth affairs," head coach Butch Thompson told the Auburn Sports Network. "Conor Davis' two-run home run after they scored the first run was huge in the ballgame. It was a really good battle for us. I learned my team will grind."
The Tigers (6-2) totaled 15 hits in the game and received a pair of three-hit efforts from Steven Williams and Matt Scheffler. Judd Ward, Will Holland, Davis and Ryan Bliss added a pair of hits apiece.
Ward drove in a career-high three runs and was matched in the category by Williams. Holland, Davis and Bliss each recorded two RBI.
"Our main goal was to stay on the fastball adjust to whatever else he had in his bag," Williams said. "Everybody did a good job with that, and this road victory is really big for us moving forward."
The early stages of the game were back and forth as neither team went scoreless in the same inning until the fifth.
UCF jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a solo home run in the bottom of the first, but Auburn was quick to respond on a two-run home run from Davis and RBI fielder's choice from Ward in the team's next at-bat.
The Knights came right back with four runs in the home half of the second and reclaimed the lead on a two-run home run from Ray Alejo.
Williams brought the team back to even with a two-run home run in the top of the third, but UCF reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the frame.
Auburn took the lead for good with a four-run top of the fourth. Ward ripped a two-RBI triple off the fence in right-center field, and Holland drove in the Auburn leadoff hitter with a RBI double on the next pitch. Rankin Woley delivered his first home run in an Auburn uniform two batters later to give the team a 9-6 lead.
"Our team clicked and we fed off each other," Kason Howell said. "One guy would hit a line drive and another guy would hit a home run. We kept feeding off each other, great at-bat after another. It was really cool to see the whole lineup clicking on all cylinders."
With the lead cut to one in the top of the sixth, Bliss came through with a two-out, two-RBI double off the fence in left field.
After UCF scored six runs in the first three innings, Auburn relievers Will Morrison, Richard Fitts and Elliott Anderson held the Knights to three runs in the final six frames.
Anderson faced the minimum in the eighth and Auburn doubled its lead from 11-9 to 13-9 in the top of the ninth. Scheffler, Ward and Holland started the inning with three straight singles, and Williams capped it off with a two-out RBI base hit to right field.
Sophomore right-hander Cody Greenhill made his second appearance of the weekend in the bottom of the ninth. Greenhill faced the minimum in the frame and secured the victory.
Auburn's defense also stepped up when it was needed in the game as Howell made a leaping catch while crashing into the fence, Holland made a sliding backhand and throw and Julien made a diving stab and throw across the diamond to end the game.
The Tigers return to action with a three-game series vs. Cincinnati from Friday-Sunday. The series opener at Plainsman Park is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.