Auburn 6, Mercer 5: Ryan Tella's walk-off single gives Tigers sweep

Auburn blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning, but senior center fielder Ryan Tella hit a two-out walk-off single to give the Tigers a 6-5 win over Mercer Sunday at Plainsman Park. The victory finished off a sweep over a solid Bears team.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jordan Ebert led off with a single and stole second to get in scoring position with nobody out. Anfernee Grier popped out, and Damon Haecker moved Ebert to third with a sacrifice bunt. After Damek Tomscha was intentionally walked and Blake Austin was hit by a pitch with a 1-2 count, Tella came up with the bases loaded and a chance to be a hero. He quickly fell behind 0-2, but fouled off three pitches and battled back to a 2-2 count. He finally got a pitch to handle and slapped a hard ground ball single through the left side, scoring Ebert and sparking a celebration for the Tigers.

Auburn (9-6) took a 5-2 lead into the top of the ninth, but Terrance Dedrick wasn't able to close it out. After a double, a double with an error, a single, a sac bunt and a single, Mercer was down 5-4 with runners at first and third. Another sac bunt tied the game and put the potential go-ahead run at second with two away. Haecker committed a throwing error from deep in the hole at short to put runners on the corners again, but Dedrick finaly got out of the inning with a swinging strikeout. When the damage was done, the Bears (12-5) had three runs on four hits and two errors in the inning.

In a repeat of Saturday's first inning, the Tigers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a two-out homer over the monster in left to take a 1-0 lead. After Mercer took the lead with two in the top of the fifth thanks to two errors, but Auburn bounced back in the sixth. A squeeze bunt from Haecker, a single from Austin and a bases-loaded HBP from pinch-hitter Jackson Burgreen brought in three runs. The Tigers added a much-needed insurance run in the eighth when Tella led off with a triple and Burgreen drove him in with another squeeze.

Tella had a huge day, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Ebert was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. After his homer, Tomscha finished 1-for-2 with two free passes.

Michael O'Neal got the start on the mound for Auburn and pitched well enough to win. O'Neal went 6 2/3 innings and gave up two unearned run on three hits. He struck out four without walking a batter. Jay Wade struck out the only hitter he faced, and Trey Cochran-Gill allowed two hits and struck out one in one inning. Dedrick (1-1) stole the win with an ugly final line of one inning, five hits, three earned runs and one strikeout.

Eric Nyquist pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Bears, allowing four runs on six hits and picking up two Ks. Ben Lumsden (0-2) took the loss after giving up two runs on three hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out one.

Auburn hits the road for a midweek game at Kennesaw State Tuesday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.

Score by Innings                    R  H  E
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Mercer.............. 000 020 003 -  5 10  0
Auburn.............. 100 003 011 -  6 10  2
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