It seemed like a strange idea that only the NCAA could come up with. After multiple rain delays caused Auburn’s first game of the day against UCF to end late, a win-or-go-home battle for the Tigers against Milwaukee was scheduled to begin at 10:10 p.m. CT.
On a Sunday night.
Luckily, Auburn fans got the memo that the team needed them, and while Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn spent some of his postgame press conference stressing that the Crimson Tide fans need to do more (ie: show up), Butch Thompson and the Tigers couldn’t have asked for more.
At 1:08 a.m. CT, the Auburn coach was finally able to talk to reporters about the two-win day.
"The job's not done" - Butch Thompson
“We’ve got to come out here tomorrow and stay present and keep fighting,” he said. “The boys fought hard all day. We can see the summit, but these guys have to get home.”
This sets up a winner-take-all game on Monday evening between the Tigers and Panthers, who have each won a game against the other during the NCAA Regional. Milwaukee didn’t give Auburn fans a chance to get into the opening game on Friday, putting four runs on the board in the top of the first, charging ahead to a 10-0 lead, before ultimately winning 13-8.
It was Ryan Hetzler’s heroic performance on Sunday that helped set up the final game. After closing out the first game – a 9-3 victory over UCF – by throwing three innings, the junior righty came right back out to start the second game, holding the Panthers to just one earned run on three hits while fanning six over four innings.
Auburn catcher Chase Fralick was in awe of what Hetzler was able to do.
“That was the most unbelievable thing I’ve seen since 12-year-old baseball,” Fralick said. “He did an incredible job. He did an unbelievable job of controlling the strike zone and getting us some zeros up there to start.”
Now, Thompson’s Tigers are one win away from hosting a Super Regional for the second straight season. With hot dogs costing $1.25 and 16 oz. domestic beers going for $2.50, Plainsman Park should be full and rowdy.
"The job's not done," Thompson said.
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