AUBURN - Auburn Doubledays' manager Dennis Holmberg may have dubbed his starting outfield - Brian Pettway, Ryan Patterson and Cory Patton - the "Killer P's," but it's more than just this triumvirate that can bring the runs to the plate.

Along with Patterson, second baseman Jermy Acey and catcher Josh Bell all smashed home runs, sailing well over Falcon Park's left field fence, in a 14-3 victory over the Oneonta Tigers on Thursday night.

"[This season] we've hit for some power, we've hit some homers," Holmberg said. "It was a better game for us, everything clicked. That is the type of ball game we are capable of playing."

The Doubledays jumped to an early lead in the first inning. Manny Sena led off with a double and scored a batter later when the Tigers' pitcher, Jose Fragoso, overthrew first base on an Acey sacrifice bunt. Acey later scored on a Nick Thomas sacrifice fly and Patton scored on a Joey Metropoulos RBI single to give Auburn a 3-0 lead.

Holmberg credits much of the Doubledays' hitting success to the addition of Acey and Metropoulos to the lineup. Acey was assigned to Pulaski on July 29 but was re-assigned to Auburn today. Metropoulos has been out of the lineup for over a week and has nursed injuries all year.

"When you add two guys with a bat it spreads everybody else out," Holmberg said. "It gives us better hitters up and down the lineup. We've got [Anthony] Garibaldi hitting ninth, Pettway eighth and Bell seventh. We've got more depth."

After scoring just 16 runs on their recently finished six-game road trip, the Doubledays' bats were reinvigorated against Oneonta. Acey started the homer-fest in the sixth when he blasted a solo home run to give Auburn an 8-1 lead. Two batters later, Patterson smashed a two-run shot, which moves him out of a tie with Patton for second place in the New York-Penn League.

Bell belted his two-run homer in the eighth, scoring the Doubledays' final runs of the game.

With the three home runs, Auburn totals 42 on the year and extends its lead in the league. The power in the Doubledays' lineup isn't just a topic of conversation among the fans - the players are discussing it too.

"A few of us were talking about it in the dugout earlier," Metropoulos said. "Some guys were asking me if last year's team was like this. I was here last year and I think a few guys topped out with 10 [home runs]. It's unbelievable, I've never seen anything like it."

Lost amid the offense, Auburn starter Robert Ray pitched a gem. Ray (2-1) continued the Doubledays' starting pitching success by throwing six innings, allowing one run off five hits.

"Bobby did some things that aren't going to show up in the box score," pitching coach Tom Signore said. "He had a plan going into the ball game and he executed."

Although the wins always bring a smile to Signore's face, he is more concerned with the adjustments his pitchers have made on the mound.

"Winning is wonderful, but our job is to prepare [our players] to go to the next level," Signore said. "We could win 50 games, but if we don't send anybody up, it's a disappointment. I've always been a little more geared at developing players."

With the win, the Doubledays jump back to .500, 21-21, and extend their lead to 1.5 games over Mahoning Valley and Jamestown in the Pinckney Division.

Patton, Auburn's most consistent hitter of late, went 2-for-2 with three walks and three RBIs.

Metropoulos, who finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, points to Auburn's Aug. 1 loss to Staten Island as the turning point of the season.

"After the second loss, Dennis called us together for a team meeting," he said. "We just talked about how we're a lot better than how we're playing. Over the last two games, everything has just come together, and I hope it can continue."

Holmberg said he enjoys the division lead but knows if it's going to resume, his players will have to approach the second half of their schedule as if it is a new season and forget about their struggles.

"Even though we're in first place, this is the start of the second season for us," Holmberg said. "Tonight was a good start. It was just an all-around good game."