AUBURN, Ala. | The Alabama State baseball team held leads in the early innings at Auburn but the Tigers erupted for eight runs in the first four innings, eventually earning a 13-9 victory at Plainsman Park on Tuesday. 

The Hornets (9-13) stayed within striking distance, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth, two more in the seventh and a run in the ninth. But Auburn answered in each of the innings to maintain the lead.

ASU totaled 11 hits on the night with Alex Espaillat earning three safeties including two doubles and two runs driven in. He also scored two runs. Wilbert Espinal had two hits and two RBIs while DeMarckus Smiley added two hits, two runs and two RBIs.

Kameron Douglas hit his third home run of the season that drove in two runs and gave the Hornets an early 2-1 lead in the second inning.

Esaid Pena started for the Hornets and lasted two innings, giving up four earned runs. He did not record a strikeout. He was one of four pitchers used by ASU with Jaxon Christensen pitching an inning and a third. Shadai Colon pitched four innings and Caleb Sanders added two-thirds of an inning.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After Auburn took an early 1-0 lead in the first, Douglas homered to give ASU the lead in the top of the second inning. Espinal scored on the play.

Auburn countered with three in the bottom half of the inning to take a 4-2 lead then added a run in the third.

The Hornets scored four times in the fourth on Smiley's single, scoring Juan Cruz. Chandler added an RBI single to score Douglas and Espaillat followed with a double down the left-field line to knock in Smiley and Chandler and give ASU a 6-5 lead.

The Tigers answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth with a Lucas Steele grand slam. They added another run in the fifth before ASU put two on the board in the seventh on a Cruz sacrifice fly and Espinal's single.

Auburn matched the two runs in the bottom of the seventh and added another in the eighth for a13-8 lead. The Hornets scored the final run in the ninth on Espinal's sacrifice fly that scored Espaillat.

Jett Johnson (3-0) was the winning pitcher for Auburn (18-4). ASU's Jaxon Christensen was tagged with his second loss of the season (1-2).
GAME NOTES

» Juan Cruz picked up his team-leading 29th RBI on the season and has scored at least one run in five consecutive games.
» Alex Espaillat enjoyed his third three-hit game of the season with the others coming against North Florida on March 8 and Southern on March 14.
» Wilbert Espinal has hit safely in five straight games and six of the last seven.
» Alabama State returns home to begin a three-game series on Friday against Florida A&M at Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex. Friday and Saturday's games begin at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Alabama State advances to NCAA DI First and Second Rounds to take on No. 1 seed Auburn on Thursaday at 1:50 p.m.