Auburn knocks off Oregon State, advances to CWS

CORVALLIS, Ore. – To get back again to Omaha, Auburn correctly navigated the Oregon Trail.

SEC saves leader Blake Burkhalter retired the final 8 batters to maintain No. 14 Auburn’s 4-3 victory Monday over No. 3 Oregon State to acquire the Corvallis Tremendous Regional at Goss Stadium, sending the Tigers to the College or university Entire world Sequence for the next time in a few seasons.

“We are thankful,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson stated. “To be capable to go back again to Omaha so soon is a testomony to a handful of fellas like Brody Moore, Kason Howell and Carson Skipper who have been on that group in 2019. They’ve carried out an amazing job with 50 percent of this team currently being new this yr.”

When Burkhalter struck out OSU’s Garret Forrester for the final out, his teammates achieved him in front of the pitcher’s mound, piling on in celebration.

“I was mentally ready to go,” reported Burkhalter of his 15th conserve. “I talked to Huddy (Auburn pitching coach Tim Hudson) before and reported, ‘How do you think I need to have to pitch these fellas?’ He gave me some tips and I’m happy I could go out there and execute.”

Auburn mustered only a person strike in the initially five innings, and a few in the match, but the Tigers made them depend.

Just after Cole Foster drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the major of the third, Sonny DiChiara hit his 22nd household operate of the season to give Auburn a 2- direct.

“They remaining a person about the plate for me and I was ready to put a excellent bat on it,” mentioned DiChiara, who had two of Auburn’s three hits. “I am grateful we were being capable to maintain them off.”

Oregon Condition answered in the bottom of the third when Justin Boyd tripled off the wall in remaining and scored on a grounder to next to trim the Tigers’ direct to 2-1.

Skipper relieved starter Mason Barnett with a single out in the fifth and two runners on, putting out Pac-12 Player of the Year Jacob Melton and Travis Bazzana to escape the jam.

Barnett, Skipper and Burkhalter blended to strike out 14 Oregon Condition batters.

Auburn added to its direct with two operates in the sixth off Oregon Point out reliever Reid Sebby. Right after DiChiara walked, Bobby Peirce doubled to suitable to set runners on 2nd and 3rd with a single out.

Brooks Carlson’s grounder to second scored DiChiara, with Peirce transferring to 3rd and Carlson secure at 1st on a fielding mistake. Brody Moore’s basic safety squeeze bunt to first plated Peirce, who defeat a throw house for a 4-1 Auburn advantage.

Skipper labored a fantastic sixth but the Beavers pulled within just a run at 4-3 in the seventh on Boyd’s two-run homer.

When two much more runners attained, Auburn identified as on Burkhalter, who struck out Bazzana and Jake Dukart to protect Auburn’s 1-run guide.

“When Carson Skipper arrived in and acquired all those two outs, and when we inserted Burkhalter those were activity changers,” Thompson mentioned. “We’re capable to continue to keep that one particular-operate direct, and Burky received us to the finish line.”

Burkhalter struck out five of the 8 batters he faced, such as Boyd to direct off the ninth. Skipper fanned four in two innings, earning the victory to make improvements to to 6-3 on the time.

Picked to end seventh in the SEC West in the coaches’ preseason poll, the Tigers are one particular of 8 groups even now in contention for a national championship, signing up for division rivals Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Arkansas in Omaha this weekend.

“This is brilliant,” explained Moore, the MVP of Auburn’s NCAA Tournament regional. “What an expertise for the Auburn Tigers to arrive from so lots of miles away and get it carried out. We’re not done nevertheless. We’re just a team out there. We mesh nicely jointly, we are greatest buddies on and off the discipline, and we love this University.”

Earning the sixth College Entire world Collection look in application background, the Tigers (42-20) play Ole Skip Saturday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and the Auburn Sports Community.