NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Vanderbilt pounded out 17 hits, including an RJ Austin home run, to beat Auburn, 13-5, at Hawkins Field on Saturday and clinch the series.

Austin reached base five times, drove in three and scored three times for the Commodores (17-3, 2-0 Southeastern Conference), who've won 12 in a row.

Alan Espinal led Vanderbilt with three RBIs. He had four hits and reached base six times.

Davis Diaz, Jayden Davis, Calvin Hewett and Jonathan Vastine each had at least two hits (Diaz had three) and drove in a run. Vanderbilt scored three in the first and sixth and five in the third.

Bryce Cunningham turned in a strong start, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits, three walks and five strikeouts over five innings. Ryan GInther pitched two scoreless innings to finish.

"He did a really nice job throwing strikes," Corbin said. "First inning, we made some mistakes that ended up costing us but we got beyond that. We answered quick. He did a nice job."

It's coach Tim Corbin's 900th win at Vanderbilt.

"We're putting at bats together. The first three guys are getting on base a lot, and that helps," Corbin said. "RJ, Diaz and Espy were on base a lot today, which really set up some things."

Cunningham was headed towards a scoreless first, but a grounder got under Austin’s glove at first, scoring Cooper Weiss (walk). Ike Irish doubled in a second run.

But Austin hit a towering shot off lefty Carson Myers just into the left-field bleachers to get a run. Diaz and Espinal singled, Colin Barczi walked, Davis singled to tie it and then Troy LaNeve’s ground-out plated the go-ahead run.

Auburn’s Cooper McMurray tied it with a leadoff homer just out to center off Cunningham. But Vandy strung together a rally in the bottom of the inning and re-took the lead on a Diaz single.

Austin singled to center off righty Cam Tilly to extend the lead to 5-3 in the fifth and load the bases. Espinal then cleared them with a two-out double to center.

Hewett added a two-out single off Tilly in the sixth for a six-run margin. Singles by Austin and Hewett and a Vastine triple accounted for two more.

Vanderbilt started Barczi at DH for Cam Kozeal, who's been dealing with a shoulder injury, but came on to pinch-hit for Barczi (and stayed in the game, adding a hit and an RBI).

Earlier in the week, Vanderbilt revealed that starting first baseman Chris Maldonado (shoulder) is out for the year, and starting left fielder Jack Bulger (hamstring) didn't play Saturday after pinch-hitting Friday.

It hasn't mattered. Vanderbilt has scored at least 11 runs its last three games.

"We have options, but at the same time,' we're a work in process," Corbin said. "I guess when you're looking at your own kids, you see your deficiencies and your areas of continued growth.

"But when you look at them as a whole, there is probably a lot of equals in terms of skill sets, and people that could be out there that aren't. That part's a good thing. They'll have their chance, they've just got to be patient, they've got to keep working."

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