Auburn had left nine runners on base in the previous five innings and, with the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the 11th, the Tigers looked to be reversing the hex at the most opportune time.

Then RBI leader Casey McElroy struck out, casting some doubt on the situation.

Tony Caldwell had just the thing for that, lacing a pitch into the gap in right-center to score Justin Hargett and Justin Fradejas and give
Auburn a 4-3 win to open its series against Georgia on Friday night.

“The last inning right there, everybody did their job, and I’m happy to come through in the clutch,” said Caldwell, who finished the night 4-for-5 with a double. “It’s a huge win.

“It’s awesome to come out, get a ‘W’ on Friday night, and actually enjoy the fireworks,” Caldwell said, referring to the weekly fireworks after home SEC series openers. The Tigers had been 0-3 on SEC home Fridays this season and hadn’t won one since last May 7.

Dillon Ortman (1-1) might have been even happier to see Fradejas slide across home for the Auburn (24-21, 10-12 SEC) win than Caldwell.

The freshman reliever pitched 3 2/3 innings of effective relief, striking out five and holding Georgia (24-22, 13-9) in check, but he gave up a two-out, two-strike home run to Jonathan Hester in the top of the 11th to put he and the Tigers in line for the loss.

Hargett started the Auburn half with a single to left off Bulldogs closer Tyler Maloof (1-1) — the NCAA save leader entering Friday — Fradejas followed with a single to right, Jay Gonzalez walked, and Caldwell delivered the win.

“Fortunately, (my team) picked me up tonight,” Ortman said. “Thanks, Tony. Again. For everything.”

Ortman backed up starter Jon Luke Jacobs, who put in his second straight quality start to kick off the Tigers’ weekend.

Jacobs gave up two runs on seven hits, including a solo shot to Brett DeLoach, over 7 1/3 innings and struck out nine, tying his career high for the second week in a row.

The junior has given up three runs on 12 hits with 18 strikeouts over 15 1/3 innings in his past two starts, both no-decisions.

Auburn staked Jacobs to a 1-0 lead in the second on a Kevin Patterson RBI single, but Georgia scored a run in each of the next two innings on a Brandon Stephens RBI double and DeLoach’s solo shot.

The Tigers answered with a Patterson infield single that squirted away from the first baseman and scored Caldwell in the sixth, but they had the chance to do more, with McElroy getting gunned down at the plate and a Creede Simpson fly out to the wall in center stranding two runners.

That would set the tone for the next five innings, as Auburn left at least a runner on in each of them, including leaving the bases loaded in the eighth.

The Tigers had a chance to win it on a McElroy double in the ninth, but pinch runner Bobby Andrews was tagged out at the plate to send the game to extra innings.

“Our team battled today,” Tigers coach John Pawlowski said. “We had some missed opportunities, but give Georgia credit. They made the pitches and made the plays when they needed to.”

Wes Gilmer went 2-for-3 on the night, Hargett was 2-for-5, and Fradejas and McElroy each went 2-for-6 for the Tigers, who are in a tie with Alabama for second in the SEC West, 1 ½ games behind Arkansas.

“For the guys to come together in the last inning, all we ever talk about is coming together and trying to create big situations,” Hargett said. “Tonight we did. It was special.”