AUBURN, Ala. – The offense exploded for 17 hits as the No. 4 Tigers run ruled No. 5 Georgia, 14-4, in eight inning to wrap up the regular season Saturday afternoon at Plainsman Park.
Auburn’s win in the finale gave the program 17 league wins in back-to-back years for the first time since 1999-2000. The Tigers are one of four programs in the Southeastern Conference with 17 or more league wins in each of the last two years, joining Texas, Arkansas and Georgia on the short list.
“Really playing the best schedule in America, it’s been a grind for a young team of freshmen and sophomores,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “We’re learning lessons. We’ve used that, and at the end of the day what we wound up getting is a game we’ve played a lot in game threes. That’s what we wound up getting.”
Saturday’s result marked Auburn’s 12th run rule win of the season, including its fifth of SEC play. Six players collected multiple hits, highlighted by Bub Terrell’s first career two-homer game and Brandon McCraine’s second four-hit effort of the season.
“That was pretty huge,” Terrell said of his first home run that tied the game in the fourth inning. “To hit that and tie the game was big for us. We trust each other so much in this clubhouse, and I’m grateful to have a group of guys that believes in me the way they do.”
“I just settled in and focused on approaching each at-bat the right way, and it ended up working out,” McCraine added.
With the offense going to work, Alex Petrovic (9-3) earned his team-leading ninth save of the season, settling in after allowing three runs in the first two innings to hold Georgia to four runs in 6.0 innings of work.
Behind Petrovic, Hetzler pitched the last 2.0 innings in scoreless fashion, allowing just one hit with two walks.
"(Alex) Petrovic being able to steady himself with just an amazing amount of confidence and belief in what he’s doing and the offense playing a lot of ball,” Thompson added of the difference in the game. “We’re at our best when we have our whole offense working and everybody contributing. We absolutely had that today.”
Georgia (43-12, 23-7 SEC) jumped out to a lead with a first-inning homer for the second straight day as Daniel Jackson’s 27th of the season was a two-run shot to center.
The Bulldogs added to their lead on a sacrifice fly in which the runner was nearly out at the plate on a strong throw from Mason McCraine in right field.
Auburn (36-18, 17-13 SEC) answered with three runs on three hits and a walk in the bottom of the second. Ethin Bingaman started the inning with a single and eventually scored as a flip from first base to the pitcher covering the bag got away. Cade Belyeu hit a sacrifice fly to center for the second run, and the older McCraine tied the game with a two-out single through the left side to score Terrell from third.
Petrovic had retired six straight after allowing the third run of the game in the second, but Cole Johnson hit his first home run of the season for Georgia to reclaim the lead.
Terrell homered for the first time in the game to start the bottom of the fourth inning and tie the contest, 4-4. It marked Terrell’s second straight game with a home run.
From there, the offense came to life starting with a six-run fifth inning to take a 10-4 lead. The Tigers finished the regular season outscoring its opponent 85-23 in the fifth inning. Eric Guevara drove in the go-ahead run on a single through the left side, and Terrell stepped back to the plate for the second straight inning, this time depositing a 1-1 breaking ball for a three-run home run into the visitor’s bullpen. Cade Belyeu’s first home run of the season came two batters later and extended the lead to five, before Chris Rembert capped off the frame with a RBI single up the middle.
Petrovic ended his outing with a clean top of the sixth before turning it over to Hetzler for the seventh and eighth.
The offense went back to work by scoring three more runs in the seventh, extending its lead to 13-4. Rembert collected his third straight hit and drove in two more with a single to center, and Bingaman drove in his 32nd run of SEC play with a double off the War Eagle Wall in left field.
With two on and one out in the eighth, McCraine turned in his fourth hit of the contest and ended the game early with a RBI double off the top of the War Eagle Wall.
“We’ll see how many teams in America can say this, and I mean this from a place of humility, but with the schedule we’ve played, what we’ve been through and the wins we’ve earned, I feel like every time we take the field we have a chance to beat anybody in the country on any given day,” Thompson said. “This group has continued to battle. I truly believe I’m one of a handful of coaches who can say that with confidence this late in the season. I’m proud of these guys and the journey they’ve been on, because no matter who we’re playing or where we’re playing, I think the Tigers have a chance to win the baseball game. As a coach, that’s a pretty special feeling to have toward the end of the season, and it’s something I’m proud to say publicly.”
With today’s results around the league, the Tigers earn the No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament and will play the winner of No. 11 seed Oklahoma (32-20, 14-16 SEC) and No. 14 seed LSU (29-27, 9-21 SEC) in the last game of the day Wednesday in Hoover.