MOBILE, Ala - Sean Laird delivered a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to lead University of South Alabama baseball to a 10-9 win over No. 18 Auburn Tuesday night at Stanky Field.
Laird hit a 2-1 pitch off of Auburn right-hander Sean Ray over the left-center wall, marking the first time USA has won on a walk-off home run since Laird did so against Memphis last season. It also marked the first time a South Alabama player has hit a walk-off home run to erase a deficit since 2005, when Michael Cart homered against New Orleans on May 8.
Trailing 9-6 heading into the bottom of the 11th, the Jaguars rallied for four runs on four hits. Adam Heisler led off the inning with a single to shortstop, and moved to second on Jake Overstreet's single to right field. Junior catcher Brent Tanner followed with a double to center field to score Heisler and cut the Auburn lead to 9-7, before Laird sealed the win.
"It was a great effort and clutch performance," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "Auburn is a great team, but our guys really clutched up against some of their better guys out of their bullpen, so I am really proud of them. Laird has been clutch all four years that he's been here, so I was glad to see him get a clutch hit like that."
USA pushed the game into extra innings in the bottom of the ninth inning when Overstreet delivered a first-pitch, two-run home run over the left field wall to tie the game 6-6.
Laird went 3-for-5 with a home run, five RBI and a run scored to lead USA at the plate. Overstreet went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Brent Tanner went 3-for-6 with a double and two RBI, and Heisler added three hits and two runs.
USA left-hander Lance Baxter (6-1) earned the win in 0.2 innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits while issuing one walk.
Auburn left-hander Sean Ray (2-2) suffered the loss without recording an out, allowing two runs on two hits.
Wes Gilmer went 4-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored to lead Auburn at the plate. Casey McElroy and Ryan Jenkins added a home run apiece.
Auburn took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning, and scored two of its four runs on back-to-back solo home runs by McElroy and Jenkins. Brian Fletcher added an RBI single in the inning.
Tanner cut the Auburn lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third inning when he singled up the middle to score Clint Reynolds, who reached on a fielder's choice. Laird followed with an single to right field to score Overstreet, who walked earlier in the inning, to cut the Auburn lead to 4-2.
Auburn answered in the top of the fourth inning when Gilmer led off with a solo home run to left center to push the Tigers' lead to 5-2.
USA cut the Auburn lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to left field by Overstreet, and a sacrifice fly by Tyler Vick.
Auburn again answered the Jags' two-run inning in the top of the sixth when Trent Mummey scored on Hunter Morris' sacrifice fly to right field to push the Tiger lead to 6-4.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when Overstreet homered to force extra innings.
Auburn scored three runs in the top of the 11th inning on RBI singles by Dan Gamache and Gilmer, and a fielder's choice off the bat of Mummey, before the Jags posted four runs in the bottom half of the inning.
USA (30-20, 16-8 SBC) returns to action this weekend when it travels to Miami for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Florida International, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. (CT).
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
- USA -
NOTES: Heisler extended his on-base streak to 30 games ... Tanner has reached base safely in 33 of his last 34 games ... Laird's homer marked the first time South Alabama has won on a walk-off home run since Laird accomplished the feat against Memphis last season ... USA improved to 45-22 all-time against Auburn, and 26-9 all-time at Stanky Field.
