In a game best described as a pitching battle, the Auburn baseball team secured a 4--3 win against No. 8 LSU in the Tigers SEC home opener Friday night at Plainsman Park.
"Just the way we drew it up, right?" said coach John Pawlowski. "Wow, you know. What a ball game. Both teams had some opportunities. Derek Vardadore did a good job. Got two big ground ball double plays to get out of some innings. You know, Friday night, go deep into the game, into the eighth inning, says a lot about his character and makeup and, you know, have some big two--out hits, really big two--out hits. [I'm] just proud of the way our team handled themselves tonight."
But despite solid pitching by senior Derek Varnadore, the win didn't come easily.
The winning hit, an RBI single from sophomore outfielder Ryan Tella through the right side of the infield, came at the bottom of the eighth.
"When I was at bat, just had to pick up the hitting in front of us," Tella said. "We needed two-out hits. We left, I believe, 12 runners on base. I was just trying to fight back, especially the earlier at bats I had. I was just feeling real well and trying to put something in play. Just a bloop or a line drive somewhere, and it worked out. There's nothing better than that, I guess. That's baseball."
LSU (17--5) was down by one at the top of the ninth, with two outs and a runner on second, when Grant Dozar connected with a pitch from Auburn closer Justin Bryant.
"I threw (Dozar) a two-seam down and away and he happened to wrap around it," Bryant said. "He got a good barrel on it. That's always a hard play for a second baseman, to go to his left then reset his body and throw it, and the grass is soaking wet. I give (Creede Simpson) every bit of his athleticism to be able to make that play. It just happened to slip out of his hand and (Garrett Cooper) had the head on him to stay calm, pick it up and throw it and (Blake Austin) blocked the plate and made a great tag. So it was a good execution all around by everybody."
The play sealed the Tigers win, pushing their record to 14--8, 3--1 SEC, tying Arkansas for first place in the SEC West.
"At the end of the day, these guys found a way to win a close ball game," Pawlowski said. "What great wherewithal by Garrett Cooper at first base to pick that ball up and turn and throw a strike to home. The ball is very wet; it's damp. He made a great play."
Slade Smith (1--3) earned the win out of the bullpen, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Bryant got the final out of the night.
Kurt McCune (1--3) took the loss for LSU.
Auburn will be back in action tomorrow at 3 p.m. in hopes of securing a series win.
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