Auburn entered the Auburn Regional final with a 9‑3 victory over the UCF Knights, a performance that highlighted both the Tigers’ pitching depth and their potent bat lineup.
A Pitching Showdown
The Tigers’ starter Alex Petrovic teamed with reliever Ryan Hetzler to fan eleven batters combined, with Hetzler extending his season record to 4‑2 and posting a 2.51 ERA.
Milwaukee’s Cinderella Run
The Milwaukee Panthers, dubbed a Cinderella team, have erupted for 26 runs across two games and now need just one more win to reach the NCAA Super Regionals.
LJ Cormier delivered a perfect fifth inning, striking out all three batters he faced, while leadoff hitter Joey Spence scored the first run in the third inning.
Auburn’s offense has been equally relentless; Cade Belyeu amassed six hits and six RBI, and Chase Fralick launched a home run in each of the Regional games.
Mason McCraine’s deep fly ball that fell inches short of a two‑run homer underscored the razor‑thin margins of postseason play.
The upcoming final will test whether the Tigers can sustain their pitching dominance or if the Panthers can extend their surprising surge.