Tigers come up just short in game two against Beavers, forcing a game three in Corvallis

And it all comes down to one game.

On Sunday, the No. 14 national-seeded Auburn Tigers took on the No. 3 national-seeded Oregon State Beavers. The Tigers looked to their ace pitcher Joseph Gonzalez (7-2) to send them to Omaha. Meanwhile, the Beavers sent their star pitcher Cooper Hjerpe (10-2) to the mound. Yesterday, Hjerpe was slated to pitch but was scratched due to an undisclosed illness. He led the NCAA in strikeouts (155). It would be up to the Tiger’s bats to duplicate their game one performance to advance to Omaha again.

Early on in the game, both teams were held in check. The Beavers had two hits while the Tigers didn’t record a hit. That would change however in the fourth inning. Although the Beavers were the host for the super regional, they were the visiting team for game two. In the top half of the fourth, center-fielder Jacob Melton delivered with a solo home run. Second baseman Travis Bazzana would then hit a solo home run two batters later. After three and a half innings, the Beavers held a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the fourth inning, second baseman Cole Foster led off with a double. After first baseman Sonny DiChiara grounded out to shortstop, Foster advanced to third base. He would then score off of a wild pitch thrown by Hjerpe. Then, designated hitter Brooks Carlson hit a double which was followed by an RBI double off the bat of shortstop Brody Moore. The game was tied 2-2 after four innings of play in Corvallis.

The Beavers would then apply the pressure in the fifth inning. A lead-off single by third baseman Matthew Gretler proved to be huge. After a sacrifice bunt from shortstop Kyle Dernedde, Gretler moved up to second base. Then, lead-off hitter Justin Boyd would bunt for a hit. However, it quickly turned for the worse when pitcher Joseph Gonzalez had a throwing error allowing Gretler to score. The Beavers led 3-2.

The Beavers would add another insurance run in the sixth inning. After a walk was earned by Bazzana, designated hitter Jake Dukart hit an RBI single. The Beavers’ lead was increased to 4-2.

In the sixth inning, the Tiger scratched across an additional run after right-fielder Bobby Peirce reached via a walk and Carlson singled into center field. Peirce would cross the plate after reliever Ben Ferrer threw a wild pitch. The Beavers led 4-3 after six innings of play.

After the sixth, neither team was able to add any additional runs. The Tigers bullpen held the Beavers in check while the Beavers bullpen did the same. Oregon State relief pitcher and Georgia native Ben Ferrer pitched 3.1 innings and allowed no runs on just two hits. Ultimately, the Beavers secured a pivotal game two win on Sunday night by a score of 4-3. The Tigers pitching performance was better than game one, but the bats weren’t there today.

Tomorrow, the Tigers will collide with the Beavers in a win-or-go-home. The winner will advance to Omaha while the loser’s season will come to an end. The first pitch for Monday’s rubber match is scheduled for 6:30 CT and will be aired on ESPN2.