MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Auburn University at Montgomery (5-13; GSC: 1-8) walked it off in dramatic fashion Tuesday night, securing a 15-14 victory over Georgia Southwestern (12-8) at the AUM Baseball Complex. In a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final at-bat, Luke Turner drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning to bring home the game-winning run and lift the Warhawks to the win.  

COMMENTS FROM COACH FRANKLIN BUSH 
"Today was all about the commitment to our process. We can't let the situation dictate our standard. We earned the opportunity to close that game out tonight, and I'm proud of our guys for their commitment to getting it done. Just like life, the game of baseball doesn't give you anything. Everything is earned. Special moment to see them break through tonight. Let's use it and have a great day of training tomorrow." 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
The Warhawks wasted no time setting the tone in the bottom of the first. Brice Ainsworth singled and swiped both second and third before Kurt Kizer worked a walk. Christopher McNeill then singled to center field. Kizer and Ainsworth came around to score, making it 2-0. Luke Turner followed with a single, and Tucker Burns doubled to right center to plate two more runs for AUM. Chance Sweeney later added an RBI single to cap a five-run opening frame and give the Warhawks a 5-0 lead. 

Georgia Southwestern answered in the third with a three-run inning, highlighted by a solo home run and a pair of RBI hits to cut into the deficit. AUM responded immediately in the bottom half. Burns and Andrew Lutz opened the inning with back-to-back singles. 

Making his third appearance of the season, Anderson Harris delivered a two-RBI double down the right field line to extend the lead. Harris later stole third, and Ainsworth brought him home with an RBI single to make it 8-3. 

The Hurricanes surged in the fourth with five runs to tie the game at 8-8, stringing together multiple extra-base hits and taking advantage of a wild pitch. GSW added four more in the fifth, to grab a 12-8 advantage. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Alec Hotaling reached on a throwing error, and after a walk by Sweeney and a sacrifice bunt from Harris, Kizer singled and advanced to second, driving in two runs to cut the deficit to 12-10. 

Georgia Southwestern added single runs in the sixth and seventh to stretch the lead to 14-10, but AUM continued to chip away.  

In the eighth, McNeill and Turner recorded back-to-back singles before Burns doubled to right field to score a run. Hotaling followed with an RBI groundout, and Burns came around to score on a throwing error to pull the Warhawks within one at 14-13. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Harris sparked the comeback with a single through the left side, his second hit of the day. Ainsworth followed with a single to left field and advanced to second on a throwing error. Kizer tied the game with a single, scoring Harris, his second time crossing the plate today. 

 After McNeill was intentionally walked to load the bases, Turner drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home Ainsworth and complete the 15-14 walk-off victory. 

Notables 

AUM totaled 15 runs on 19 hits in the win. 

Five Warhawks recorded multi-hit performances. 

Tucker Burns led the offense, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs, and two runs scored. 

Brice Ainsworth finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and two stolen bases. 

Christopher McNeill went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. 

Kurt Kizer recorded two hits and two RBIs, including the game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. 

Luke Turner drove in the game-winning run with a bases-loaded walk and finished with two hits and two runs scored. 

Anderson Harris tallied two hits, including a two-RBI double in the third inning, and scored twice. 

The Warhawks scored five runs in the first inning and plated runs in five different frames. 

The orange and black erased deficits of four runs and one run in the comeback victory. 

AUM drew five walks, including the game-winning bases-loaded walk by Luke Turner. 

Landon Daniels earned the start for the Warhawks and tossed 3.0 innings to open the contest. Heath Henley picked up the win in relief, improving to 1-1 on the season and securing his first victory of the year. 

Up Next 

The Warhawks will play game one of their series against GSC competitor Mississippi College on Friday March 6 at 5 pm.  

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