(Photo Credit: @LSUbaseball on X)
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
LSU’s C game isn’t going to beat Auburn’s A game. That much is clear through two games.
A night after Samuel Dutton hurled six shutout innings, Cade Fisher notched a season high in outs recorded. Auburn leaned on a couple of steady bullpen arms after Fisher departed and silenced the LSU bats in a 4-2 win.
Auburn wasn’t great offensively, but they capitalized on a pair of plays LSU failed to make in the outfield. In a two run fourth, Eric Snow doubled to lead things off. With one out, Ike Irish and Cooper McMurray each doubled home a run on balls that could have been caught. Derek Curiel failed to haul in Irish’s bullet at the track in leftcenter. Josh Pearson slid and got a glove on McMurray’s in the gap in rightcenter. He couldn’t haul it in.
In the fifth, Snow blasted a two-run homer off the batter’s eye in center field to swell the Auburn lead to 4-1 against Anthony Eyanson.
LSU’s first tally came on a solo shot from Steven Milam over the wall in left field in the second.
In the third, Fisher hit a pair of batters and walked another to load the bases. Chris Stanfield struck out with the bases loaded and two outs. After Fisher left the game, LSU hit the ball hard. They just didn’t find enough holes at the right time.
In the seventh, Curiel laced a line drive right to the Auburn shortstop with two on and no one out. It was caught, and after a Daniel Dickinson walk to load the bases, Jake Brown flew out to center as a pinch hitter for Ethan Frey.
LSU threatened again in the eighth but couldn’t draw even.
Pearson singled to lead off the inning. Milam singled through the left side with one out, and Tanner Reaves made it 4-2 with an RBI single to left field. With two on, Stanfield flew to center and Derek Curiel grounded to second. That stranded the tying run at first base.
The LSU bullpen kept the Tigers in the game with three innings of shutout work. Conner Ware, Connor Benge and DJ Primeaux were really good. They allowed all of one hit. That’s an encouraging sign in the midst of a discouraging weekend.
Reaves kicked a double play ball on Friday, and the corner outfielders failed to make good plays on Saturday. Those three missed chances on defense have stung LSU exceptionally hard. They’re also a feather in the cap of an Auburn team that prides itself on putting the ball in play and forcing the defense to make plays.
Those missed chances and an inopportunistic offense that outhit Auburn on Saturday night have doomed LSU through two games.
The Tigers started SEC play 10-2 which allows for some wiggle room. In theory, you’d like to have that wiggle room for Arkansas and Tennessee at the top of the SEC standings instead of Auburn smack dab in the middle. That hasn’t been the case.
LSU has misplayed three crucial balls defensively and failed to get a few key hits through two games. If you’re going to lose, that’s the most correctable way to do it. LSU is getting runners on base. The starting pitching has been good. The bullpen arms have thrown strikes. Auburn has just played better than LSU. That happens in America’s best conference.
There’s a saying in the SEC, “don’t get swept”. LSU plays with that on the mind Sunday at 2:00. A 10-4 record is far from a problem. That said, 11-4 beats the heck out of 10-5.
THE SCORECARD
Anthony Eyanson’s line: 5IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 5K, 90 pitches, 58 strikes
Cade Fisher’s line: 5IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 6K, 84 pitches, 51 strikes
LSU’s Bullpen of Conner Ware, Conner Benge, DJ Primeaux: 3IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 2K, 47 pitches, 32 strikes
LSU flew out 15 times and struck out seven.
LSU left 11 on base to Auburn’s four.
LSU was 0-for-10 with two outs. Auburn drove in two runs with two outs.
LSU was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Auburn was 3-for-8 (.375)
Jared Jones: 0-for-5, 3K
Steven Milam: 2-for-3, HR
Derek Curiel extended his on base streak once again. It’s at 36 now.
WHAT’S NEXT
Auburn doesn’t have a named starter for game three. LSU will go to Chase Shores (5-1, 4.66ERA).
Shores may have a short leash with Zac Cowan and Casan Evans fully rested. Auburn will attempt to work through the game with a handful of relievers.
LSU is in an advantageous spot as far as arms go. Auburn is at home and has a ton of confidence at this point. Big game on Sunday afternoon.
