Auburn rallies for 9th-straight win

No. 16 Auburn keeps finding ways to win.

Auburn ace Keegan Thompson exited in the fifth inning with an arm issue and Georgia starter Andrew Gist had the Tigers on the ropes with a shutout through seven innings.

But Gist’s first pitch of the eighth was driven to right-center by Luke Jarvis for a triple to end his night after 101 pitches. Jarvis scored to tie the game 1-1 on a fielding error by catcher Austin Biggar.

Then with two outs, Daniel Robert drove a 1-2 pitch from Kevin Smith to centerfield for a single to score Will Holland and give the Tigers the lead.

Georgia loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before Cole Lipscomb retired Will Campbell on a deep fly ball to centerfield to secure a 2-1 victory and earn his fifth save of the season.

Robert (1-0) earned the win, moving from first base to the mound to get Auburn out of a two-on and two-out jam in the seventh. He held the Bulldogs without a hit through 1.1 innings.

With its ninth-straight win, Auburn improves to 19-5 overall and 4-0 in the SEC.

“All the credit goes to our bullpen today and the brightest star tonight was Daniel Robert the way he stepped up,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “He threw great and he got the game-winning hit. Luke Jarvis starting off that inning there when nothing’s happened all night, the guys just hung in there and found a unique, new way to win.”

Keegan Thompson held Georgia to three hits in 4.0 innings with three strikeouts before leaving the game after warming up in the fifth. He threw 49 pitches.

“Precautionary with Keegan,” Butch Thompson said. “He felt like his arm was a little fatigued, a little tired there. I got to get more information.”

Five Auburn relievers combined to hold UGA to one run on five hits over the final five innings. Jarvis and Jonah Todd had two hits apiece, combining for four of the Tigers' five hits.

The series will resume Saturday at 1 p.m. CT and conclude Sunday at noon.