AUBURN, Ala. – Hosting its first Super Regional in program history, the No. 4 Auburn Tigers looked to snap No. 13 Coastal Carolina's 21-game winning streak.
Blagen Pado, Caden Bodine and Blake Barthol would not let that happen.
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers defeated the Auburn Tigers 7-6 Friday night in game one of the Super Regionals behind big swings by Pado and Bodine, and two game-saving double plays by Barthol.
After the Tigers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, the Chanticleers wasted no time punching back, scoring six unanswered runs that were all driven in by Pado and Bodine. Pado, a man with just three home runs on the season, blasted two over the War Eagle Wall in left field, including a crucial three-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Chanticleers a 5-1 lead.
“The two swings by Pado were absolutely the difference in the game,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “That was the first time we had trailed here, it seems like, in the postseason.”
After a 105-minute rain delay suspended play, the Tigers battled back to score five unanswered runs, including scoring at least one run in four consecutive innings. In the bottom of the ninth, with a chance to walk it off, the Tigers had runners on first and second with only one out, and junior Lucas Steele lined one back up the middle for what looked like a potential walk-off base hit.
Blake Barthol had other ideas.
Barthol made a diving grab and doubled off the runner at second for a game-saving double play. One inning later, after the Chanticleers took the lead in the top of the tenth on another Bodine homer, the Tigers found themselves in the same situation. Barthol once again made a diving catch up the middle and doubled off the runner, this time to end the game and secure a game-one victory for the Chanticleers.
“I think we have confidence and resilience,” Thompson said. “I’ve announced that to you guys and to the world. We have to put our head down, get some sleep and get back out there.”
Game two between the Tigers and Chanticleers will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday. It will be broadcast on ESPN2 and will be available for listening on the Auburn Sports Network.
