Cougars Eliminate Tigers

By Ben Jones

Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – College of Charleston battled past Auburn's arms and Tallahassee's weather to keep its season alive on Sunday. The Cougars used two home runs from first baseman Nick Pappas to beat the Tigers 3-2 at Dick Howser Stadium in a game that finished more than nine hours after it started.

 

Neither team found an offensive rhythm during the rain-interrupted game, but the Cougars (45-14) made the most of the hits they had as Auburn (36-26) tried to scratch across runs. Play was suspended at the end of the first inning and didn't resume for six hours and 25 minutes, when the teams finally took the field again at 6:45 p.m. Both teams left the stadium and returned to their hotels during the delay.

 

"I think it's harder on the coaches more so than on the players," Charleston coach Monte Lee said. "And on the pitchers. The starting pitchers are just trying to figure out when we're going to play. They're amped up and ready to go. The position players, you know, they're OK. Our guys were OK with it."

 

Pappas' first home run came with one out in the top of the second, shortly after play resumed following the weather delay. That gave Charleston a 1-0 lead.

 

"Today is one of those days when I just went up there and saw it," Pappas said. "I wasn't really looking for any pitches or anything in particular. I just saw it and hit it. Simple as that."

 

He finished the day 3 for 4 with two homers and three RBI. Pappas now has three home runs in the Regional, and Charleston has seven home runs on the weekend. The Cougars ranked second in the country in home runs during the regular season.

 

"Thank God we've got Nick Pappas in our lineup," Lee said. "… He's one of the best pure hitters that I've ever coached. One of the best players that I've ever coached, and I tell him that on a weekly basis."

 

Auburn took a 2-1 lead after Pappas' first home run, scoring one run each in the fourth and fifth innings.

 

First baseman Daniel Robert led off the fourth with a walk and moved to second on a ground ball for the second out of the inning. He scored one batter later on a single from third baseman Damon Haecker that tied the game.

 

The Tigers' only lead of the game came when left fielder Jackson Burgreen walked with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. He stole second base, then scored on a single to left from designated hitter Jordan Ebert.

 

That wasn't enough to overcome Pappas' day, though. Auburn's season ended with the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth inning as Ben Craft flied out to center to finish the game.

 

"I'm extremely proud of this group of young men this year to get Auburn baseball back into a Regional for the first time since 2010, and I think the last time before that was 2005," Auburn coach Sunny Golloway said. "So in the last ten years, to have only been to a Regional one time, I think it's a great feat. They showed a lot of mental toughness all year and a lot of grit and found ways to hang in there and compete."

 

College of Charleston advances to face Florida State on Monday at 2 p.m. That game was originally scheduled for Sunday night, but had to be postponed after the delay. If the Cougars win, the Regional finale will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday. All five games in the Tallahassee regional have been decided by one run.

 

Auburn's pitching kept the Tigers in the game. Starter Dalton Rentz threw four innings, throwing four innings and giving up only the solo home run to Pappas. Robby Clements came on for him in the fifth, throwing 4.2 innings and only allowing the two-run shot to Pappas. The Tigers' pitching staff only gave up four hits and one walk on the day.

 

"To get beat on a walk and two home runs, which is the same way they beat us earlier in the tournament, is extremely disappointing," Golloway said. "But that's baseball, and it happens."

 

The Cougars' pitching was even better. Starter Nathan Helvey gave up two runs in five innings, but the bullpen pitched four nearly perfect innings. Chase Henry threw 2.1 innings, giving up one hit and one walk, and Carter Love was flawless in the final 1.2 innings.

 

"I think the biggest thing is they believe in themselves and they play well together," Lee said. "They're a very selfless group of players. They love playing together, they're very close, good team chemistry. They really buy into what we teach them as coaches. They compete pitch-by-pitch, inning-by-inning, game-by-game, because that's our expectation."