Auburn forces a final game with Clemson, Creede Simpson hits game-winning ninth inning bomb to win 11-10
With two outs, and two strikes, it all came down to one pitch for Auburn's season. With runners on the corners, Simpson sent a rocket over the wall in left centerfield to put Auburn up 11-9.
Clemson started the bottom of the ninth with some drama.
The Tigers led off with back to back singles, and a sac bunt and had runners at second and third with one out.
After a wild pitch, Austin Hubbard, who worked 4.2 innings, induced a groundball to Hunter Morris and a pop fly to Justin Hargett to end the game.
To say it was magic at Plainsman Park isn't a stretch. In the 7th with the bases loaded, Plainsman Park was at a fever pitch, and certainly helped contribute to Justin Bryant's bases loaded walk from freshly inserted reliever Tomas Cruz.
Auburn made it 9-8 that inning, and held off Clemson in the bottom half to set up the final inning heroics.
It appeared as though it would be all Auburn, as they led 5-1 early.
Clemson would respond with a 7 run inning that seemingly deflated Auburn's sail, but the Tigers continued to fight back.
Justin Fradejas hit his second homerun of the series, which is one more than he had all season.
Brian Fletcher and Hunter Morris both had three hits for the explosive Auburn offense.
In an eerily similarly situation, former Tiger and current Atlanta Brave David Ross did the exact same thing back in the 1997 Regional. Down to their final strike, Ross entered into the game for the legendary Casey Dunn. Ross then blasted a 3-run homerun to defeat Florida State and send the Tigers to Omaha.
Simpson is from Auburn, and was the unlikliest of heroes tonight. To do it in front of your hometown crowd makes it even sweeter. Simpson will forever have a place in Auburn baseball history. .
It gets interesting for Auburn now from a pitching standpoint, as the starter will be unknown. Hubbard will be unavailable out of the pen, as will Hendrix who threw in game one.
Clemson may be in the same boat.
Having said that, Auburn lives on for another day, and this time, winner takes all. See you at Plainsman Park Monday at 6 pm. You can follow all the action on Twitter @AllAboutAuburn, or here after the game.
