Auburn bullpen paves way for Wortham's walk-off vs. Georgia Tech

Game recap courtesy of Auburn Athletics

AUBURN — Trailing 10-4 through the fourth inning, Auburn outscored Georgia Tech 8-1 in the final eight frames to complete its 12-11 win in 12 innings Tuesday night at Plainsman Park.
 
With one out in the bottom of the 12th, Brody Wortham capped off the comeback with a RBI single through the right side to score Justin Kirby from second and send his teammates pouring from the dugout to mob him around first base.
 
“I took one pitch to kind of just get a feel because I had been over on the sideline for a while, but I was looking for something middle-away and got a fastball on the outer half,” Wortham said. “As soon as it hit the bat, I knew it was through and I knew Kirby was scoring, no doubt.
 
The game marked Auburn’s seventh comeback win of the season, including its largest comeback win since 2017. It also extended the team’s streak of not losing more than back-to-back games since Apr. 9-11, 2021.

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“We went through the entire season last year without losing three ball games in a row, so we showed some resolve to hang in there tonight,” head coach Butch Thompson said. “We’re trying to just stay focused on the process. To hang in there against a quality ball club and find a way to win, we’ll take it.”
 
After giving up 10 runs on 14 hits in the first four innings, Auburn’s bullpen buckled down and held Georgia Tech to one run in the final eight frames. Trevor Horne entered to start the fifth inning and matched a season high with 1.2 innings pitched. Will Cannon entered to record the final out of the sixth and stranded a pair of runners. He faced just one batter over the minimum with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Tanner Bauman and Chase Isbell (2-1) then pitched 2.0 scoreless innings apiece, getting Auburn from the ninth through 12 innings unscathed and setting the table for the dramatic finish.
 
Kirby led the way from the plate, recorded a season high and matching a career high with four hits. The outfielder homered for the seventh time this season to cut the deficit to four runs in the fifth inning.
 
“It just shows that there’s never a game we’re out of,” Kirby said. “It speaks to how resilient our offense is. Honestly, even our pitching staff. The last four or five innings we got some really big zeros, and that was huge. It just speaks to how resilient this team is. We have a lot of fight, and you can’t really teach that.”
 
Trailing 7-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning, Auburn (13-3-1) rattled off four runs with two outs to get back in the ballgame. Kirby started the scoring with a RBI single, and Gavin Miller doubled to left center to drive in a pair. Caden Green then singled to right field to make it a 7-4 game.
 
Georgia Tech (13-4) got three of the runs back in its next at-bat, but other than one run in the top of the sixth that’s allow the Yellow Jackets would muster for the remainder of the game.
 
Kirby’s team-best-tying seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth cut the deficit to four, and the Tigers came storming back to tie the game 11-11 with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Mike Bello grounded out to second base to score the first run in the frame. Then, Ike Irish ripped his nation-leading 12th double of the season to make it 11-8. Bryson Ware singled through the left side to draw one run closer, and Josh Hall tied the game with a two-out, two-RBI single to center and bring Auburn all the way back. Hall matched a career best with three hits in the contest.
 
The Tigers stranded a combined eight runners in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings. The bullpen was able to keep Georgia Tech at bay, though, and Wortham’s clutch pinch-hit ended it in the 12th.
 
The walk-off win was Auburn’s second of the season. The team’s 20 hits were a season high and the most since the regional-opening win against Southeastern last year. Ten players recorded a hit in the contest, including seven with multiple hits.

Auburn starts Southeastern Conference play with a three-game series at No. 3 Arkansas (14-2) in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Friday-Sunday.