LSU’s six-run comeback attempt falls short, Tigers drop game three to Auburn

LSU tried to fight back, but an early 5-0 deficit proved too much as it dropped game three to Auburn 7-5.

LSU fell to 28-17 on the year and 7-14 in SEC play while Auburn improved to 21-22 and 3-18 in conference play.

“It was a tough one today, a game we needed to win,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “But, our guys fought hard, especially getting down 5-0. It’s a tough one to take, but our guys are still invested in each other and in winning.

Freshman Kade Anderson was given his first SEC start less than a week after throwing 62 pitches against Nicholls on Tuesday. It wasn’t the start to his SEC career that he hoped for though, as he found himself in a jam right away.

He gave up a leadoff double to Chris Stanfield to start the game before surrendering an RBI single Carter Wright to give Auburn the lead. He gave up a single to Christian Hall and hit the next batter with a pitch to load the bases. He gave up a two-RBI single to Cade Belyeu before being pulled for Will Hellmers.

Hellmers gave up a double to score two more and give Auburn a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Anderson made it through just 0.2 innings and gave up four hit and five earned runs.

“I thought Jump completely dominated them [Friday] night,” Johnson said. “And [Anderson’s] the most like Jump on our staff. So it was a one time through the order, maybe 12 hitters type plan. And that’s tough to swallow.”

Griffin Herring came in to start the second inning gave up a single, but nothing else. In the third inning, Herring surrendered a leadoff double and an RBI single to bring the deficit to 6-0. All six of Auburns runs came with two outs gone.

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LSU got its first hit of the game in the bottom of the third thanks to an Alex Milazzo single that put runners on first and second following a Michael Braswell III walk. Freshman Ashton Larson brought home the first run of the game with an RBI single to bring the score to 6-1.

LSU cut into the lead even more in the fourth inning. Hayden Travinski and Braswell singled with two outs gone to put two on base before Steven Milam blasted his third homer of the season to bring the score to 6-4. All four of LSU’s runs came with two outs gone.

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Herring came out for Christian Little in the top of the sixth with one out gone and a runner on base. Little gave up an RBI double to extend Auburn’s lead to 7-4.

LSU would strike back in the bottom of the seventh. Walks from Milam and Mac Bingham and a single from Milazzo loaded the bases with no outs gone, but the Tigers would only come away with one run. Larson hit a sac fly to score a run and bring it to a 7-5 game, but Tommy White and Jared Jones couldn’t bring anyone else home.

LSU got a runner in scoring position again in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a Travinski double, but LSU again couldn’t drive home a run. LSU batted .200 with runners in scoring position and stranded six runners on base on the day.

“I don’t have a great answer other than we just didn’t win those tipping point or inflection point moments,” Johnson said. “And that’s not for lack of effort or any of those types of things.”

Loer gave up a single to leadoff the ninth before being pulled for Sam Dutton. Dutton struck out three batters two give LSU one final chance to comeback in the bottom of the inning down two runs.

LSU went three up, three down in the bottom of the inning though and dropped game three to Auburn.

LSU surrendered 13 hits in game three after giving up five total hits through the first two games of the series. LSU recorded eight hits of its own.

All five of LSU’s runs came from freshman. Larson had two RBI and Milam had three. Larson finished the series with six hits.

LSU will be back in action on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. against Grambling State.

“Tuesday is a must-win game, there’s no doubt about that,” Johnson said. “So, we’ll get ready to roll for that challenge.”