MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – #25 Auburn University pounded out 14 hits and jumped to an early 5-1 lead, holding off #18 College of Charleston 7-4 Saturday afternoon in the CofC Classic at Patriots Point. The Cougars fall to 9-2 on the season and face New York Tech tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

The Tigers jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a solo home run to straightaway center field by Casey McElroy. Charleston knotted the score in the bottom of the frame when redshirt-junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J.) doubled down the left field line and scored when junior RF Marty Gantt (North Augusta, S.C.) reached on a throwing error by the Auburn shortstop.

Auburn plated a pair of runs in each of the second, third and fifth innings to take a 7-1 lead. In the second, the Tigers led off with back-to-back singles before a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base. Zach Alvord followed up with a two-run single up the middle to clear the bases. A two-run, two-out double by Brooks Beisner accounted for Auburn's runs in the third, while a solo home run by Beisner and a RBI single by Alvord tallied runs in the fifth.

The Cougars got a run back in the sixth when Gantt led off with a triple to left center and redshirt-junior 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla.) drove him home with a RBI groundout to first. Charleston mounted a comeback in the eighth, loading the bases on a walks by Kral and Leeds and a single by Gantt. Redshirt-junior 1B Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla.) brought home a run on a fielder's choice and senior 2B Jesse Mesa (Mirimar, Fla.) hit a RBI single to left, but the Cougars stranded runners at first and second to end the frame.

Junior LHP Josh Renfro (Bradenton, Fla.) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing five runs on eight hits in four innings of work with two strikeouts. Mesa collected three hits and Gantt added two hits for the Cougars. Derek Varnadore picked up his third win on the year for Auburn, scattering seven hits over seven innings and allowing four runs and striking out five. Beisner went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Tigers.

The Cougars return to action in the CofC Classic tomorrow afternoon against New York Tech. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.