FINAL STATSAUBURN – Cody Nulph and Blake Logan each had two hits and drove in two runs as Auburn claimed a 6-4 win over Jacksonville State in Friday's opening game of a three-game series on the Plains.
However, the game however did not end without controversy in the ninth inning. It appeared Jax State scored three runs with two outs to take a 7-6 lead after
Taylor Hawthorne hit a ball to deep center field that Auburn centerfielder Anfernee Grier made a diving attempt to catch. Grier then jumped up and relayed the ball back to the infield after the last run crossed the plate.
There was not a signal of a catch by any of the three umpires before Auburn coach Sunny Galloway came running onto the field to question the call. The three umpires met for more than three minutes before first base umpire Jeremy Dupree ruled that Grier had indeed made the catch for the third out of the inning to end the game.
Auburn rallied to take a 6-2 lead into the ninth inning and seemed to be cruising after recording the first two outs of the inning on a pair of strikeouts before the Gamecocks came fighting back.
Tyler Gamble then followed with a two-out solo homerun to left field to cut the lead to 6-3.
Ryan Sebra then reached on an infield error and
Hayden White drew a walk before
Clayton Daniel had a RBI single up the middle to score Sebra and cut the lead to 6-4.
After an Auburn pitching change,
Elliot McCummings walked to load the bases and Hawthorne hit the 2-2 pitch to deep center field that caused the controversy.
Auburn's Will Thompson (1-0) picked up the win, while JSU's
Joe McGuire (0-1) got stuck with the loss for the Gamecocks.
Jax State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after
Gavin Golsan scored on a bases loaded walk to Gamble.
The Gamecocks extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning after
Clayton Daniel led off with a double and McCummings followed with a RBI single down the left field line to score Daniel and extend JSU's lead.
JSU starter
Zachary Fowler tossed a solid 5 1/3 innings on the mound, allowing just four hits and five strikeouts, but did not get a decision.
Auburn scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take its first lead of the night. Nulph had a RBI double to center and Logan drove in two more runs with a double to left field to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
Auburn added three insurance runs in the eighth inning. Nulph led off with a solo home run, while Grier and Ebert each drove in a run to give the Tigers a 6-2 lead heading into the ninth inning.
Daniel and McCummings each had two hits to lead the Gamecocks, while Gamble led the team with two RBI.
Jacksonville State returns to action on Saturday against Western Illinois at 7 p.m., before facing Auburn again on Sunday afternoon.
