Tigers edge Gators to force deciding game
GAINESVILLE The Florida Gators will have to take the long way to Omaha.
A dramatic 3-2 loss to Auburn sealed in the ninth inning Sunday forced a third game tonight to decide whether the Gators or Tigers will advance to the College World Series.
A walk-off double by Auburn second baseman Luke Jarvis off All-SEC reliever Michael Byrne scored pinch-hitter Cade Evans with the game-winner to force a winner-take-all game at 8:30 p.m. today.
“I liked our resilience,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “I’m happy to have one more day to fight.”
The Gators have shown plenty of resilience themselves during the postseason. UF won deciding games during their past three NCAA regionals, including last weekend’s Gainesville Regional.
A year ago, the Gators lost to Wake Forest on walk-off home run during the second game of the Super Regional. UF came back a day later to win 3-0 behind freshman pitcher Tyson Dyson on the way to the national championship.
“We talked about that at the end of the game,” O’Sullivan said of last season’s experience. “Obviously everybody’s disappointed. It comes down to one game. We’ve been here before — hopefully we’ll feed off that experience.”
The Gators (45-19) will turn to another freshman right-hander, either Jack Leftwich (4-5, 4.50 ERA) and Tommy Mace (5-0, 4.61), to get UF back to Omaha for the seventh time in nine years. O’Sullivan said he was leaning toward Leftwich because he needs more preparation time than Mace, who is more able to come out of the bullpen.
Auburn (43-21) will counter with fifth-year senior left-hander Andrew Mitchell (2-2, 4.30 ERA).
“At the end of the day they have to pitch well if we want to move one,” O’Sullivan said of the Gators’ freshmen. “They’re not freshmen anymore. They’ve been through the SEC and pitched in high-level situations.”
UF junior pitcher Jackson Kowar rose to the occasion on Sunday, turning in his best outing in at least a month.
The game tied 1-1, O’Sullivan replaced Kowar after the seventh inning with freshman left-hander Jordan Butler. On a sweltering Gainesville day, Kowar threw 93 pitches, allowing just three hits and one run.
“I thought Jackson pitched probably as good as he has all year long ... gave us a chance,” O’Sullivan said.
Kowar’s final pitch ended in a hard come-backer that he fielded. In the process, he bruised his hand a bit, which factored into O’Sullivan’s decision.
“He was almost at 100 pitches and almost got decapitated, I mean, it’s hot,” O’Sullivan said. “He did his job; he pitched seven full.”
O’Sullivan’s decision backfired. Auburn scored one run each off Butler and Byrne to force a deciding game in the Super Regional.
A one-out double by Auburn sophomore shortstop Will Holland off Butler gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning.
On the ropes with just three outs to go, the Gators answered to open the ninth inning on a home run by sophomore Austin Langworthy deep to right field to tie the game 2-2.