AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Carson Ozmer, Penn’s closer nicknamed “The Wizard of Oz,” worked 3 ⅓ innings as the Quakers upset Auburn 6-3 in 11 innings on Friday in the Auburn Regional.
After winning its first NCAA Tournament game since 1990 Penn advances to face Samford, which needed 10 innings to get past Southern Miss in a second-round game Saturday. Auburn will face the Golden Eagles in a loser-out game Saturday.
Four Penn pitchers checked Auburn on just four base hits and one run after the sixth inning. Two of the Tigers’ three runs were scored on bases-loaded walks.
Still, the Tigers held a 2-1 lead after Ike Irish scored on an infield out in the sixth inning. Jackson Appel gave Penn a 3-2 lead with a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
Eli Trop got the first out of the eighth inning for the Quakers, but he hit two batters and walked a third to load the bases. Ozmer came on in relief, but walked Brody Moss to tie game.
Ryan Taylor ripped an RBI double into the left field gap in the 11th to score Jarrett Pokrovsky from first and give Penn the lead. The Quakers laid down three straight bunts, two of them base hits, to tack on two more runs.
Ozmer retired the side in the bottom of the 11th, the final two on strikeouts, to close out the victory.
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