LSU Baseball Drops Second Straight Home Series With 6-4 Loss to Auburn
LSU once again found itself in an uphill climb and despite a late effort, miscues and insurance runs helped Auburn hold off a comeback attempt in a 6-4 win.
The purple and gold have now dropped back-to-back SEC series at home with the schedule only getting more difficult from here.
For six innings it wasn't like LSU's offense was starved for baserunners or productive at bats. The purple and gold set themselves up in good position in multiple innings with runners on base but just struggled to make that game changing swing.
LSU collected six hits in that five inning span but left eight on base and scored just one run on a Jordan Thompson RBI single. The offense went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position during that same span, leaving at least one runner in scoring position in the second through fifth innings.
The team was looking for any kind of spark and it turned out to come in the form of the 6-foot-9 relief pitcher Paul Gervase. LSU's pitching to that point had been a bit of a mixed bag, with Auburn jumping out to a 4-1 lead, including a straight away two run homer to straight away center that took the air out of Alex Box.
Gervase was sent in to weather the storm a bit in the seventh but even he started out a bit inconsistent, loading the bases with one out. But the redshirt junior stayed composed and delivered back-to-back strikeouts, provoking one of the loudest cheers from the baseball faithful all season.
It was one of those feelings where it felt like only a matter of time before the dam broke with this offense's history and opportunities it had throughout the game. It finally happened in the seventh inning, carrying over the momentum gained from Gervase's strong finish on the mound.
Nearly batting around the order, the purple and gold would begin its ascent back into the game with a two run inning that included RBI swings from Tre Morgan and Jacob Berry and cut the Auburn lead to just 4-3. A solo homer from Morgan in the eighth would've been enough to complete the comeback had it not been for the Auburn response at the top of the inning.
But heading to the bottom of the ninth, LSU still found itself down a pair of runs thanks to a two run response by Auburn in the eighth that really sucked the wind out of the momentum. The purple and gold defense didn't do the team any favors but the offense still had an opportunity late to win the series.
LSU will now have to shake off another home series loss ahead of Tuesday night's matchup with Grambling.
(Photo courtesy of LSUsports)