RALEIGH, N.C. (Interstat) — Auburn pounded 18 hits and held off a late North Carolina State charge for a 17-13 victory Saturday. The Tigers improved to 39-20; the Wolfpack fell to 32-24.

Auburn erupted for seven runs in the first inning, keyed by Chase Fralick’s three-run homer. Ethin Bingaman added a solo shot later in the frame. Cade Belyeu smacked a two-run homer in the second, and Bingaman homered again in the fourth. Belyeu hit his second two-run blast in the sixth, and Fralick doubled in two more runs that inning.

NC State chipped away. Dalton Bargo singled in a run in the second and crushed a two-run homer in the third. The Wolfpack cut the deficit to 17-7 in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Luke Nixon. Bargo doubled in a run in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch, and Vincent DeCarlo homered to make it 17-13. Auburn pitchers Jackson Sanders and Andreas Alvarez combined to hold NC State to 14 hits while striking out eight. The game featured 31 combined hits.