Super Regional walk-off

GAINESVILLE | It hadn’t been a postseason to remember for Luke Jarvis, until now.

The senior, who was hitting just .118 in his last eight games, laced a single into left-center to score pinch-runner Cade Evans from second base in the ninth inning to give Auburn a 3-2 walk-off win over Florida in game two of the Gainesville Super Regional.

“Pandemonium. That’s as good as it gets from a feelings perspective when you play this game,” Jarvis said. “You’re not hitting the ball well and then sure enough you come up in kind of a big situation and all you’ve got to do is put the ball in play. It sounds a lot tougher when you’re in there. These guys played amazing. It was a big team win.”

The win gives Auburn its first-ever Super Regional victory and evens the series 1-1 to set up a winner-take-all game three at McKethan Field Monday night at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN with a trip to the College World Series on the line.

“I think, to a man, our team, coach, players, if they had somebody up there to be able to get a hit like that in a big ballgame to get the first Super Regional win in Auburn baseball history, that’s significant,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “And for Luke Jarvis to get it, there’s nobody more deserving.”

A game that featured strong pitching and defense for seven innings, turned on some dramatic hits in the final two.

Will Holland gave Auburn a 2-1 lead in the eighth on a double in the left-centerfield gap to score Josh Anthony from first base. But the Gators answered in the top of the ninth with a leadoff home run by Austin Langworthy well over the right field wall.

“I just don’t think our guys blinked,” Thompson said. “Langworthy hit the big home run after we worked really hard to score a run and we come right back in the bottom half and find a way with Byrne on the mound … find a way to win a 3-2 ballgame and at least survive and give ourselves an opportunity to come out and play nine innings for an opportunity to go to Omaha.”

The bottom of the ninth started with a walk by Brendan Venter off Jordan Butler. Florida brought in closer Michael Byrne with a 2-1 count on Edouard Julien and he proceeded to strikeout the freshman on two pitches.

But Jay Estes followed with a single to move Venter to second, where he was pinch-run for by Evans, bringing Jarvis to the plate with one out. On Byrne’s first pitch, Jarvis drove a fastball deep into the left-centerfield gap where it one-hopped the fence.

Jarvis immediately raised his right fist in the air, pointed to Auburn’s dugout as he ran down the first base line and was mobbed by his teammates before he reached second base.

“That was pretty cool. I was trying not to do too much, just trying to see it and hit it. Thank God it worked out," Jarvis said.

Cody Greenhill (6-2) earned the win holding Florida to a run on two hits over the final 3.0 innings. Starter Tanner Burns held the Gators to a run on five hits in 6.0 innings. He struck out three and issued four walks on 97 pitches.

The Tigers turned three double plays in the game.

“Our guys played at a very high level,” Thompson said. “I thought the double plays were huge and the pitching. We had to match Florida’s pitching, which created greatness around here. The only way we were going to get out of here is to better that.

“For two days in a row, for us to win a game with Byrne being on the mound twice and getting their best yesterday from a starter, getting their best today from (Jackson) Kowar — I’m happy to have one more day to fight.”

Kowar held the Tigers to a run on just three hits in 7.0 innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Butler (6-2) took the loss allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in 1.0 innings.

Auburn improves to 43-22 while Florida falls to 46-19. Monday’s pitching matchup is expected to be Auburn senior left-hander Andrew Mitchell (2-2, 4.30) vs. Florida freshman right-hander Jack Leftwich (4-5, 4.50).