Southern pulled off a wild comeback win over Jackson State to clinch their spot in the NCAA tournament. Down 6-4 in the ninth with three outs to go, Southern started a rally with a leadoff walk. Jackson State brought in a reliever who immediately walked the first batter he faced, bringing up O’Neill Burgos as the go-ahead run. Burgos crushed a deep fly ball to left. At first, it looked like it was just a long out, but the left fielder crashed through a loose bullpen door. Nobody knew what happened—except for the Southern bullpen. They had the best view and started yelling that it was a home run.
Confusion followed until replay showed that the ball cleared the fence before the outfielder hit the door. It sailed between the bars and into the brick wall beyond. The umps confirmed it was a homer. The Southern dugout exploded. They added the final outs in the bottom half and celebrated with a dog pile, rosin bag spike, and a lot of emotion. Players dropped to their knees, soaked in the moment, and hugged it out. Southern is headed to the tournament, representing the SWAC after a dramatic finish that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.