Auburn tops Florida, forces deciding game today
Auburn got a number of clutch performances from freshmen with its season on the line at Florida. And one huge hit from a fifthyear senior.
Luke Jarvis’ RBI single in the bottom of the ninth gave Auburn a 3-2 victory over the top-seeded Gators in their best-of-three super regional Sunday. It set up a decisive game tonight, with the winner advancing to the College World Series.
Florida (46-19), the defend- i ng na t ional c ha mpion, hasn’t lost consecutive games at home since April 2017.
“I’m happy to have one more day to fight,” Tigers coach Butch Thompson said.
Tanner Burns and Cody Greenhill, two freshman All-American pitchers, held the Gators in check through- out the day. Burns gave up five hits and an earned run in six innings and Greenhill (6-2) surrendered a solo home run over the final three. Another freshman, Steven Williams, tied the game in the fourth with his 12th homer and tracked down a ball in the gap that surely would’ve been a double in the third.
“I think this is a bag of experience that these guys can take with them,” Thomp- son said.
All of those guys will return next year, giving Auburn (4322) plenty of hope for the future. Jarvis, though, was down to his final few outs. He was hitless in seven at-bats in the series before com- ing through and giving the Tigers at least another day.
Brendan Venter got things started in the ninth with a lead-off walk off reliever Jordan Butler (6-2). He moved to second on Jay Estes’ single and then gave way to pinch runner Cade Evans. Jarvis drove the first pitch into left center, scoring Evans.
The Tigers looked like they wouldn’t even need their final at-bat, but Florida’s Austin Langworthy homered to start the ninth off Greenhill.
The game was a pitching duel for most of the afternoon, with Jackson Kowar and Burns doing what many expected in the opener between first-round MLB draft picks Brady Singer and Casey Mize. Kowar, a firstround pick by Kansas City, gave up three hits and an earned run in seven innings, his best outing in a month.
Now, the Gators will turn to a freshman, either Jack Leftwich (4-5) or Tommy Mace (5-0), to start the series finale. Coach Kevin O’Sullivan said it likely would be Leftwich. The Tigers will counter with senior LHP Andrew Mitchell (2-2).
Texas 4, Tennessee Tech 2: Kody Clemens drove in two runs, one with his 23rd home run of the season, as the Longhorns evened their super regional at one victory apiece in Austin, Texas. Game 3 is today.
Late Saturday
Adley Rutschman hit a two-out, two-RBI single in the ninth to lead Oregon State to a 6-3 win over Minnesota in the second game of the super regional in Corvallis, Ore. The Beavers (49-101) will go the College World Series for the second straight season and seventh time in school history.