Auburn not only staged a huge rally from an early 3-run deficit, it made some program history with Saturday afternoon’s series-clinching 8-5 victory at Florida.
The SEC battle between the 13th-ranked Tigers and 20th-ranked Gators came down to Saturday’s rubber game after Auburn dropped Thursday’s series opener. And therein lies the history that the Tigers made 2 days later, after Friday’s 5-3 victory was followed by Saturday’s win.
It was the first time an Auburn baseball team had won a series in Gainesville after dropping the first game since 1997, so it hadn’t happened in almost 3 decades but it happened on Saturday.
Auburn improved to 27-12 overall and 10-8 in the rugged SEC, while Florida dropped to 28-13 overall and now has the same 10-8 conference record after losing the home series.
When Eddie Madrigal snagged this line drive to end Saturday’s comeback victory, Auburn had its third straight series win and secured the program’s first series victory in Gainesville in 13 years.
Auburn starting pitcher Alex Petrovic allowed a 3-run homer by Florida’s Blake Cyr in the first inning, but the sophomore remained unflappable, responding by blanking the Gators in his final six innings of work.
A pair of Florida miscues paved the way for the Tigers to pull ahead in the 9th inning. Auburn tied it with a run in the 8th, then scored 5 times in the 9th to go up 8-3 before holding off a Florida rally in the bottom of the frame.
Auburn’s 9th-inning eruption was highlighted by a 2-run double from Brandon McCraine. After one McCraine brother did his damage, it was time for younger brother Mason McCraine to do his, as he belted his third homer in the past 2 games to put the finishing touches on the Tigers’ late rally.
Here’s a look at the latest odds to win the College World Series, per Kalshi:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
