AUBURN | Auburn waited and waited and waited for the big hit, and it finally came in the sixth inning.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Cole Foster drilled a double to drive in three runs and turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead.

The 14th-ranked Tigers added two runs in the seventh to beat No. 2 Stanford 6-2 in an elimination game Monday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field in the second round of the 2022 College World Series.

“Exciting for us to get a win for us here in Omaha for our program,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “The beginning and the end with the pitching I thought was really good.

“Cole Foster had a big hit for us. Had been struggling health-wise to just stay on the field and it was a big, big hit for us.”

Auburn, which improves to 43-21, will play the loser of tonight’s game between Arkansas and Ole Miss in another elimination game Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

AU starter Trace Bright (5-4) earned the win holding the Cardinal to two runs on five hits in 5.0 innings. He struck out eight, an AU CWS record, and didn’t walk a batter on 77 pitches.

"Trace Bright, I think I gained more respect for him today," said Thompson. "I thought he was one hitter away from coming out in the third inning, but he weathered the storm. He held it together and came back out there with his fastball and got us all the way through the fifth."

Tommy Sheehan allowed just two hits in 1.2 innings, but Stanford was able to load the bases with two outs in the seventh before Blake Burkhalter came in to strike out Brett Barrera and end the threat.

"When I was coming in, you know the bases are loaded but you kinda have to flush it," said Burkhalter. "Your main focus is that first guy. I don't think I had my fastball command all day but the cutter was working and the changeup was working and that's what I had to lean on."

Burkhalter retired seven of the eight batters he faced with five strikeouts to earn his 16th save of the season. Auburn's three pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts and just one walk.

AU’s four-run sixth started with back-to-back singles by Mike Bello and Blake Rambusch. Sony DiChiara was hit by a pitch with one out to load the bases, and Bobby Peirce followed with a walk to drive in AU’s first run.

Two batters later, Foster drove a 1-1 pitch off the bottom half of the left-centerfield wall to clear the bases and bring his total to 15 RBI in the NCAA Tournament.

"We were battling and we haven't been where we wanted to be in the last two to three games," said Kason Howell, who was 2 of 4 at the plate. "Cole really put a spark in our offense. You could tell we were a little bit more on the attack after Cole's big swing. I hope that can carry momentum into tomorrow."

AU added two in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Brody Moore and a two-out, RBI double by Peirce.

Rambusch, Foster and Howell had two hits apiece. Price had two RBI and Foster three.

The Tigers improve to 4-11 in the CWS with their 22nd comeback win of the season. AU gets its first CWS win over Stanford after losing twice to the Pac-12 power in both 1967 and 97.