AUBURN | Niko Buentello continued his hot hitting and Andrew Mitchell gave Auburn a quality start as the Tigers beat Florida A&M 11-2 Wednesday afternoon at Plainsman Park.

Mitchell (1-0), making his first career start, earned the win holding FAMU scoreless through 5.0 innings. He gave up two hits, four walks and struck out three on 92 pitches.

“It was amazing,” Mitchell said. “Any day you don’t give up a run is a good day. There’s definitely some things I can work on and improve on but with the defense behind me making plays, I couldn’t ask for a better day.”

Marc Frazier came out of the bullpen to hold FAMU to two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings.

“We really took the sting out of the swing tonight with those two pitchers,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “I was pleased by that.”

Gordon Cardenas gave up a hit and a walk in the ninth to close out the game for the Tigers.

Buentello drove home a run in the first inning on a triple to left center, another in the third on a double to right center and two more in the eighth on a bases-loaded single up the middle. He is hitting .438 and has 14 RBI in four games.

“It’s exciting,” Buentello said. “As a hitter, it can change between at-bats. Right now, I’m just trying to keep it simple and enjoy it while I’m seeing the ball really well.”

Auburn plated four in the third. Daniel Robert drove home Buentello on a fielder choice and then Blake Logan drove a double down the left field line to score two more and give the Tigers a 5-0 lead.

Back-to-back doubles by Anfernee Grier and Joshua Palacios gave Auburn a 6-0 lead in the fourth. Jordan Ebert hit his eight career home run in the eighth, a three-run shot over the Green Monster in left.

Buentello, Grier and Ebert has three hits apiece. Melvin Gray had two hits and scored two runs.

“Anfernee and Niko, it just looked like another day at the park for them,” Thompson said. “Ebert has really hit the ball well but now you saw some extra base stuff show up tonight, which is really exciting.”

FAMU used seven pitchers. Starter Ryan Anderson (0-1) took the loss allowing five runs in five hits in 2.1 innings. Marlon Gibbs and Brian Davis had two hits apiece for the Rattlers.

Auburn returns to action Friday as Southern University visits Plainsman Park for a three-game series. Game times for the series are 3 p.m. CT Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday.