MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Auburn Montgomery scored in each of the first four innings on the way to a 12-1 rout of Reinhardt in the first round of the Southern States Athletic Conference baseball tournament here Wednesday afternoon.

     The Senators (38-18) advance into the winners' bracket and will face Southern Poly Thursday afternoon at 4. Reinhardt looks to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament Thursday morning, playing in a losers' bracket game against Berry at 10.

     Auburn got a strong performance from right-hander Justin Barrett, who scattered six hits in six innings of work, allowing only one earned run. Wade Skinner pitched the final inning for the Senators in a game stopped after seven innings because of the run rule.

     The Senators' Cody Shileds had two hits and drove in a pair of runs in a three-run second inning that pushed the lead to 4-0. Auburn Montgomery tacked on three more in the third and cruised from there.

     Chase Burton and Carlton Melton also had two hits and two RBIs apiece for Auburn Montgomery, while Allen Ponder added three hits and an RBI.

     Reinhardt's Harry Nutter knocked in the lone Eagle's run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI groundout.