Walk-off sweep for Tigers
AUBURN | The brooms were flying high in Auburn Sunday.
The Tigers scored four unearned runs on three Florida errors to beat the 5th-ranked Gators 6-5 at Plainsman Park and open SEC play with a three-game sweep.
“Unbelievable. That’s why you play the game,” said senior Blake Logan, who led Auburn with three hits. “You come here to play against the best. To go out in that style — we hadn’t had a walk-off this year — and for that to happen was just awesome.”
The final Florida miscue, an errant throw to third base by relief pitcher Frank Rubio in the ninth inning, allowed pinch-runner J.J. Shaffer to score from second and give the Tigers a walk-off win.
The first sweep of Florida since 1987 improves Auburn to 17-5 overall and 3-0 in the conference.
“Nobody can take that moment seeing those guys run on that field right there. I do cherish that,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “That was my highlight of the weekend, to see them completely finish a task.
“We did not execute as well today, either team. This was just two teams battling it out and trying to fight to win a ballgame on a Sunday when you’ve been at this for three consecutive days, and I thought our guys hung in there until the finish.”
Tied 5-5, Logan led off the ninth with a single up the middle. Will Holland laid down a perfect bunt between the pitcher and charging first baseman and beat out the throw.
With Shaffer pinch-running for Logan at second, Jonah Todd bunted to the left side and Rubio’s throw bounced past a sliding Shaffer at third base, allowing him to trot home for the winning run.
“Leading off I had to get on anyway I could,” Logan said. “Will was going to bunt me over to second, but it just so happens a very well placed bunt is tough to defend. For him to beat that out really put us at an advantage and you could kind of sense it that this was our chance right here.”
Logan led off the seventh inning with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Todd to tie the game 5-5.
Andrew Mitchell (4-0) earned the win, throwing a perfect ninth with two strikeouts. Calvin Coker was a workhorse out of the bullpen holding the Gators to one hit in 4.0 innings.
“Calvin Coker did a great job. I thought he was a great matchup,” Thompson said. “I thought he got on a roll and allowed us to get back in the ballgame.”
Auburn starter Davis Daniel lasted just 2.1 innings, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk.
Florida plated four runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead but Auburn answered with three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning on a hit, two walks, an error and a wild pitch.
“We got down 4-1 and we answered right back. No quit, just a really gutsy performance as a team,” Logan said.
Next up for Auburn is a road game at Georgia Tech Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT. Auburn returns to SEC play at Georgia next weekend.
GAME NOTES
** Auburn, which has won seven-straight games, is 3-0 in the SEC for the first time since 2010. That’s Auburn’s first walk-off win since Xavier in 2016.
** Auburn’s last series win over a Top 5 opponent was LSU in 2010.
** Jay Estes was 1-of-3 Sunday with a double, one run scored and one RBI. He was 5-of-9 on the weekend with four doubles, five runs scored and three RBI.
** Josh Anthony saved two runs in the game with his defense at third base. He made a diving catch of a line drive with runners on first and third and one out in the fourth. With two outs in the fifth and a runner on third, Anthony made a diving stop on a ground ball to his left and threw the runner out a first.
** Auburn’s three-run third came with the bases loaded and two outs. UF shortstop Christian Hicks couldn’t handle a pop up, allowing two runs to score on the error. A wild pitch to the next batter allowed a run to score from third and tie the game.
** Last time Auburn was ranked was March of 2014.
** Auburn had 16 recruits visiting for Sunday’s game, which included a boisterous crowd of 3,302.