Feb. 20, 2018
Related Links
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Down to its last out and trailing by a run, Conor Davis and Brendan Venter delivered the game-tying and walk-off hits as Auburn defeated Georgia State, 3-2, Tuesday night at Plainsman Park.
With Will Holland in scoring position, Davis hit a groundball to the right side that deflected off the glove of Georgia State first baseman Jack Thompson and allowed Holland to slide into home plate ahead of the throw. Two pitches later, Venter hit a 0-1 pitch into right field to score Jeremy Johnson from second and end the ballgame in walk-off fashion.
With the win, Auburn improves to 4-0 for the first time since 2013, while Georgia State falls to 2-2.
"I thought our approach really changed at the end of the ballgame," head coach Butch Thompson said. "Our last three hits were to the backside. Conor Davis making a commitment to put the ball in play, and then Brendan Venter reached base four times - two singles a hit-by-pitch and walk. Those last two hits were the other way, and that's what we have to do in that moment if we want to have a chance to win."
Freshman pitcher Cody Greenhill (1-0, 0.00) got the win after he came on in relief during the sixth inning and did not allow a hit while striking out four in 3.1 innings of work. Greenhill retired the first six batters he faced in his second appearance as a Tiger.
Opposite Greenhill, Georgia State's Jansen Acton (0-1, 5.40) suffered the loss after allowing the game-tying and walk-off hits to Davis and Venter.
"We were putting barrels on balls all game, and the rule of averages says a few are going to fall eventually," Venter said. "We just kept competing at the plate. It gave me an opportunity to come up there at the end, and it's a pretty cool feeling being able to get it done."
Auburn trailed for the first time all season when Georgia State jumped on the scoreboard on a RBI double in the top of the first inning. The Panthers then doubled their lead on a RBI single two innings later.
However, Auburn's bullpen combination of Corey Herndon, Blake Schilleci and Greenhill held Georgia State without a hit in the final 5.2 innings of the game to keep the Tigers in it.
Herndon, who made his season debut in relief of starting pitcher Ryan Watson in the fourth inning, retired all five batters he faced and struck out a pair. Schilleci then made his Auburn debut in the sixth inning and bridged the gap to Greenhill.
With the bases loaded for the third time in the ballgame, the Auburn offense came through and cut Georgia State's lead in half in the bottom of the eighth inning before the theatrics ensued in the ninth.
Auburn will look to continue its win streak as the Tigers host Troy Wednesday at 4 p.m. Redshirt-senior southpaw Andrew Mitchell (0-0, 0.00) will get the start for the Tigers opposite Troy's CJ Carter (1-0, 5.40).