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AUBURN – The Jacksonville State baseball team put a scare into No. 12 Auburn in Friday's first round of the 2010 NCAA Auburn Regional before the Tigers held on for a wild 9-7 win over the Gamecocks at Plainsman Park.

In front of a Plainsman Park crowd of 4,096 and an estimated 1,500 more fans watching from outside the park, the Gamecocks (32-25) battled the Tigers (41-19) to four lead changes before a late run put the game just out of reach from JSU in its first regional appearance since 2006. Auburn, who made their first NCAA appearance since 2005, used their bats to power into the winners bracket.

After JSU starter Austin Lucas sat down the Southeastern Conference's top offense in order through the first three innings, the Tigers made some adjustments and scored in each of the final five frames to put just enough on the board. The loss sends Jacksonville State into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tourney, where it will face Southern Miss at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Eagles dropped a 10-1 decision to Clemson earlier in the day.

For JSU, junior Todd Cunningham went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI to lead an impressive offensive attack. After being retired in his first two at bats, the Jacksonville, Ala., native homered in the third and singled in the sixth and eighth. Junior Blake Seguin went 3-for-3 for JSU at the plate with three runs scored.

Senior Bert Smith was one of three Gamecocks with a pair of hits, driving in a run in his 2-for-4 outing. The Helena, Ala., native ran his career hits total to 322, extending his JSU and OVC record. Senior Andrew Edge and sophomore Kyle Bluestein each recorded a pair of hits and drove in a run for JSU.

Auburn belted three home runs in its nine hits on the night, with Justin Fradejas, Dan Gamache and Casey McElroy recorded the Tigers' long balls, while Fradejas was the lone Auburn player with multiple hits in a 2-for-4 evening at the plate.

The Gamecocks got on the board in the top of the first, thanks to an Andrew Edge single through the left side that plated Bert Smith from second. JSU would load the bases and make Tiger starter Cory Luckie labor before his 35th pitch of the inning got Jake Sharrock swinging and left the Gamecocks' lead at 1-0.

Lucas sat down the Auburn lineup in order the first time he saw it but a leadoff bunt single from Justin Fradejas got the Tigers going in the fourth. Trent Mummey followed that leadoff hit with a double to the gap in left center that plated Fradejas from first and tied the game at 1-1.

They loaded the bags with one out before center fielder Daniel Adamson went over the center field wall and brought back Dan Gamache's fly ball from over the 385-feet sign. Adamson robbed Gamache's grand slam attempt and turned it into a sacrifice fly, and then an RBI single from Ryan Jenkins gave Auburn a 3-1 lead after four innings.

The lead didn't last long, thanks to a two-run home run over the 30-foot wall in left that followed a leadoff single from Blake Sequin and tied the score at 3-3 in the top of the fifth. A two-out double from Edge and a line-drive single to left from Kyle Bluestein followed and gave the Gamecocks a 4-3 advantage after the top of the fifth.

The Tigers answered again in the home half of the frame after Justin Hargett fought back from an 0-2 count to draw a one-out walk and set up a two-run homer by leadoff hitter Fradejas. The blast was Fradejas' second round tripper of the year and allowed Auburn to reclaim the lead at 5-4 after the fifth.

Cunningham struck again in the Gamecocks' ensuing at bat, following a leadoff double from Seguin and an error from Fradejas in right field with an RBI single to left that tied the game again at 5-5.

In the home half of that sixth frame, Auburn regained the lead again. Dan Gamache took JSU reliever Cody Ponder over the wall in left center to put the Tigers back on top with a 6-5 advantage.

Auburn stretch the lead to 8-5 in the seventh after an error by reliever Alex Jones put runners at second and third with no outs. Todd Hornsby came on for JSU but the Tigers were able to push both runners home on a pair of ground balls on the infield.

JSU got a pair in the top of the eighth to pull within one at 8-7, thanks to a leadoff walk to Orrin McFadden, back-to-back singles from Seguin and Cunningham and an RBI ground out from Bert Smith. Seguin was plated on Smith's ground ball and was the first earned run allowed by Auburn closer Austin Hubbard in his last nine appearances and 15 innings on the hill.

Casey McElroy gave Hubbard an insurance run before he went into the ninth, belting a one-out solo homer to left center that put Auburn's lead at 9-7 after eight. Hubbard retired the Gamecocks in order in that ninth to preserve the win and earn his 10th save of the season.

Lucas surrendered five runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings, while striking out three and walking three. Ponder (0-1) was tagged with his first career loss after allowing a run on one hit in less than an inning on the mound. Alex Jones gave up two unearned runs in one inning of work, while Todd Hornsby got the final five outs and allowed a run on two hits in the process.

Slade Smith (4-0) earned the win in relief for the Tigers after limiting the Gamecocks to two runs, one earned, on five hits in 2 1/3 innings.