SEC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Wernes wins it with HR in 9th

Arkansas’s Bobby Wernes (7) celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a two run homer to go ahead of Florida during the ninth inning of a game at the Southeastern Conference college baseball tournament at the Hoover Met, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Arkansas’s Bobby Wernes (7) celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a two run homer to go ahead of Florida during the ninth inning of a game at the Southeastern Conference college baseball tournament at the Hoover Met, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

HOOVER, Ala. — No. 20 Arkansas turned to the long ball late to shock No. 6 Florida 7-6 after midnight and advance to the late winner’s bracket game tonight in the SEC Tournament.

Bobby Wernes followed Andrew Benintendi’s solo home run in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run shot of his own well over the left-field wall at spacious Hoover Met to cap a dramatic at-bat at about 1:15 a.m. and give Arkansas a 7-6 lead.

At a glance

at Hoover (Ala.) Metropolitan Park All times Central

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Texas A&M 4, Alabama 3

Vanderbilt 7, Missouri 6 (10)

LSU 9, Auburn 8

Arkansas 7, Florida 6

TODAY’S GAMES

Alabama vs. Missouri, 9:30 a.m.

Auburn vs. Florida, 1 p.m.

Texas A&M vs. Vanderbilt, 4:30 p.m.

LSU vs. Arkansas, 8 p.m.

Zach Jackson allowed a runner to reach third in the bottom of the inning but finished off the Gators with a strikeout of Josh Tobias for his sixth save.

The victory sent the Razorbacks (35-20) into tonight’s winner’s bracket finale against LSU, which rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat Auburn 9-8.

The Gators (40-16) will play Auburn in a 1 p.m. elimination game, less than 12 hours after the game against Arkansas ended at 1:32 a.m. Central.

Arkansas’ Rick Nomura was a thorn in the Gators’ side, going 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored.

Benintendi, the SEC Player of the Year held hitless in his first seven at-bats in the tournament, drilled a home run — his league-leading 18th — way over the wall in right-center field to open the ninth inning. Nomura drew a one-out walk, and Wernes followed with a marathon 12-pitch at-bat that featured seven foul balls before he yanked a pitch from Bobby Poyner (4-2) through the early morning air over the left-field wall.

Gators designated hitter JJ Schwarz was a part of both of Florida’s three-run innings, going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI.

The late rally made a winner of Jackson Lowery (6-1), who worked a scoreless eighth.

Arkansas provided an early three-run lead for All-SEC pitcher Keaton McKinney, but the freshman had an uncharacteristically wild and short stint.

Arkansas chased Florida right-hander Dane Dunning with a three-run second inning, reversing its early inability to drive in runners from Tuesday night’s game against Tennessee.

Nomura and Wernes opened the inning with infield singles before Brett McAfee struck out. Michael Bernal walked to load the bases, then catcher Alex Gosser laid off a couple of borderline pitches after falling behind and coaxed a walk to force in a run.

Clark Eagan was hit by a pitch to make it 2-0, then Joe Serrano’s fly ball to left was deep enough to bring in Bernal. Benintendi reached on an error, but reliever Taylor Lewis avoided further trouble by striking out Tyler Spoon.

McKinney, who cruised through the first inning, suddenly couldn’t find the strike zone. He walked the first three Gators in the bottom of the second and got the hook, tying for his earliest departure. The freshman had lasted at least 5 1/3 innings in each of his past six starts.

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