AUBURN, Ala. - In a thrilling finish at Plainsman Park, Auburn pulled off a dramatic comeback to edge out West Georgia, 4-3, with some clutch hitting in the ninth inning. Ethin Bingaman and Bub Terrell delivered back-to-back singles, turning a tense moment into a walk-off celebration.
Bingaman, fresh off earning SEC Freshman of the Week, stepped up with two outs and sent a 1-0 pitch sailing to right field, bringing pinch runner Ty Thompson home from second to level the score. The freshman then advanced to second on a wild pitch, setting the stage for Terrell. Facing a 2-2 count, Terrell connected with a fastball, sending it to left field and scoring Bingaman just in time to beat the tag at the plate.
Reflecting on the moment, Terrell shared, “Gabe (Gross) called a timeout and told me to slow things down and just put the ball in play. We focus on pushing the ball forward, not leaving it up to the catcher or umpire, and luckily, it found the grass.”
Earlier, Auburn found themselves trailing 3-1 after West Georgia launched their second homer of the night in the eighth. But the Tigers clawed back with a crucial two-out single from Mason McCraine off the War Eagle Wall, allowing his brother Brandon McCraine to score from third.
Pitcher Ryan Hetzler (2-0) took over in the ninth, striking out a key batter and leaving a runner stranded at third, setting up the dramatic finish.
Head coach Butch Thompson emphasized the team's ongoing development: “We’re learning and growing, but there’s still work to do. Our focus is on building habits and making better decisions as we move forward. The resilience we showed was key, especially in pitching and defense.”
Andreas Alvarez, making his second midweek start, kept West Georgia mostly in check despite a two-run homer in the third. Auburn responded with some aggressive base running from Bristol Carter, who scored after stealing two bases and capitalizing on a throwing error.
Alvarez settled down after the homer, keeping the Wolves scoreless through three more innings before handing the ball to Drew Whalen. Whalen and Hetzler combined to keep Auburn within striking distance.
West Georgia threatened again in the seventh with consecutive singles, but a sharp play by McCraine from second base cut down a run at the plate, keeping the inning scoreless.
Offensively, Chase Fralick led the Tigers with three hits, while McCraine continued his hot streak with another multi-hit game. Bingaman also contributed with two hits, marking his second consecutive game doing so.
Looking ahead, Auburn gears up for a series against Nebraska, hoping to carry this momentum into their upcoming matchups at Plainsman Park.