CHAPEL HILL | Auburn is going to the College World Series for the first time in 22 years, beating North Carolina 14-7 in the Chapel Hill Super Regional with an emphatic 13-run first, the second-most runs ever in a single inning of an NCAA tournament game.
The Tigers, playing in their fifth-ever CWS and first since 1997, will take on Mississippi State to open the eight-team tournament in Omaha, Neb. The full CWS schedule is expected to be announced later Monday.
"A special day for our baseball program," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. "A lot of folks, any coach or player that has ever put on this Auburn uniform, this is for you. I hope that a lot of our Auburn fans, which is a lot of folks, they usually have different June plans and I hope we have wrecked that for them and they have to find their way to Omaha, Nebraska."
Auburn sent 17 batters to the plate in the first, scoring the 13 runs on nine hits, five walks and one UNC error. Judd Ward provided the big hit with a 3-run home run over the right field wall in his second at-bat of the inning.
"Words can’t describe, it’s something we’ve dreamed of," said Ward of rushing in from left field to leap on the dog pile. "A lot of hard work has gone into this, 6 a.m. workouts, practice until 6 or 7. It’s just unreal."
The Tar Heels used four pitchers in the first as starter Joey Lancellotti walked the first four batters of the game before being replaced by Connor Ollio, who gave up three runs on three hits while recording two outs. Hansen Butler allowed six runs, one earned, on five hits and an error without recording an out, before Will Sandy came in to finally end the inning.
"In the beginning we knew they didn’t have a deep bullpen today," said Edouard Julien, who had two hits and three RBI in the first inning. "They had their best pitcher starting the game. We wanted to attack him and pass it on and just see a lot of pitches. The first inning was a big for us"
Tanner Burns got the start for Auburn throwing 2.0 hitless innings before turning it over to Richard Fitts. The freshman right-hander lasted 5.1 innings allowing six runs on seven hits to earn the win and improve to 5-3 on the season. Cody Greenhill got the final five outs of the game to clinch the championship.
"Richard Fitts did a great job for us," Thopmpson said. "There was not a whole lot left sitting down there. If you knew what was sitting down there, you’d be even more impressed about this group.”
Ward, Rankin Woley and Julien had three hits apiece for AU. Ward and Julien had three RBI, Woley two. Matt Scheffler was 1 of 5 with two RBI.
Auburn, which improves to 38-26, wins its first ever Super Regional a year after a crushing defeat in the Gainesville Super Regional with the Tigers falling 3-2 to Florida in 11 innings of game three.
