Tigers take down 15th-ranked Jaguars
Luke Jarvis provided the late drama as No. 25 Auburn rallied for a 7-6 come-from-behind win at No. 15 South Alabama Tuesday night.
The Tigers improve to 9-0 on the season, their best start since 2001.
“Our team does have a good feeling, especially late,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “We had two game balls tonight offensively. One was Brett Wright because he just got two strikes and started fouling off harmlessly in our dugout but there was just a commitment there. It’s amazing how an at-bat like that leads to somebody coming up like Luke Jarvis and hitting a three-run home run.”
With Auburn trailing 4-3 in the eighth, Jay Estes reached on a hit by pitch, stole second and came around to score on Wright's single down the left field line. Will Holland followed with a bunt single and then Jarvis belted an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left field to drive home three.
"I was guessing curve ball -- I just about never do that -- and he happened to put one right where I could hit it and I put a pretty good swing on it and thank goodness it carried out," Jarvis said. "That was an awesome win tonight."
Cody Greenhill gave up a two-run double on the first pitch he threw in the eighth but retired six of the final eight South Alabama batters to earn his first career save.
"We've got to understand, especially our young guys, that good ball clubs are going to be ready to turn it loose. We've got to have a better plan coming out of the bullpen," Thompson said.
"His first pitch basically turns it back into a one-run game but he does know how to compete, how to battle."
Auburn scored a run in the first on a two-out RBI single by Josh Anthony, a run in the second on an RBI single by Will Holland and a run in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Brendan Venter.
Wright, Venter and Holland had two hits apiece. Jarvis was 1-of-4 with three RBI.
Elliott Anderson (2-0) earned the win allowing two runs on one hit in 1.0 innings. Calvin Coker threw 1.1 scoreless innings and Greenhill half USA to two hits in the final 2.0 innings.
Auburn starter Andrew Mitchell (0-0) struck out six in 4.0 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and two walks on 65 pitches.
"He got a little tight in his arm so we took him out," Thompson said. "Definitely wanted him to go a couple more tonight but we're being ultraconservative with our guys early in the year."
Auburn returns home this weekend for a three-game series against BYU. Friday’s game is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on SECN+ and WatchESPN. There is no T.V. or streaming available for Saturday’s doubleheader, which gets underway at noon CT.