TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Karl Amonite and Clete Thomas each hit two-run homers in a six-run third inning to lead Auburn to a 13-5 win over South Alabama in the NCAA regional opener here Friday.<br>
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Auburn (33-24) moves into Saturday night's winner's bracket against the winner of the Florida State-Army game. South Alabama meets the loser in an elimination game Saturday.<br>
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The Tigers sent 11 players to the plate in the third, roughing up South Alabama starter P.J. Walters for a half dozen hits to build an early 7-1 lead.<br>
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Tyler Johnstone started the six-run outburst with a go-ahead RBI single before Thomas made it 4-1 with a two-run homer. After Josh Bell followed with a single, Amonite hit his own two-run shot. Bruce Edwards later added an RBI single to cap the scoring.<br>
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Russell Dixon's RBI triple in the fifth gave Auburn an 8-1 lead, chasing Walters (10-7), who gave up eight runs, nine hits and three homers in 4 1-3 innings.<br>
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Josh Morgan hit a two-run homer in the sixth as the Jaguars (35-26) pulled to within 8-5 in the seventh, but Auburn answered with three runs in its half of the inning and added two more runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach.<br>
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Arnold Hughey (8-4) held the Jaguars to four runs on six hits in 5 1-3.<br>
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Joel Collins had spotted South Alabama an early 1-0 lead in the second with a towering home run over the left field wall, but Jeff Boutwell countered in the bottom of the frame with a line drive that cleared the fence in nearly the same spot.<br>
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(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
