After dropping the first game against LSU on Thursday, Auburn split the two remaining games.
Auburn fell 9-6 on Friday in a back-and-forth affair before rebounding for a 2-1 walk-off win on Saturday behind a clutch hit from Brody Moore.
Auburn falls late in back-and-forth affair with LSU on Friday
By Jake Weese
Ryan Bliss (9) bats for Auburn against LSU at Plainsman Park on May 7, 2021; Auburn, AL
Auburn led 5-3 heading into the seventh inning, but LSU had other plans as they scored a combined six runs over the final three innings as they defeated Auburn 9-6 Friday at Plainsman Park.
“We kept battling,” said head coach Butch Thompson. “We give up two, we come back and get two. That’s not been our challenge. This has been one of the best offensive efforts we’ve had.”
LSU struck first in Friday’s contest as they scored on an RBI double three pitches into the game and followed that up with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-0 game heading into the bottom of the first.
Auburn responded in the bottom half of the inning as Miller and Williams homered to tie things up at 2-all.
Bliss gave Auburn its first lead of the game and series with a solo shot in the bottom of the third to provide Auburn with a 3-2 lead.
Three singles in the fifth inning from LSU tied the game up, but Ryan Dyal broke the 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-run home run.
LSU responded in the seventh inning with three runs on three hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Along with Dyal’s two-run home run, Auburn had solo shots from Steven Williams, Ryan Bliss and Tyler Miller.
Cam Hill came up big for Auburn in the bottom of the seventh with a game-tying RBI single to make it a 6-6 game. Like previous innings, LSU responded right away in the eighth inning as they scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
LSU added some insurance runs in the ninth following a two-run homer.
Bliss and Miller had solid performances at the plate as they both finished with two hits each. Hill led Auburn offensively with three hits, including a game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
Williams reached base four times in the contest as he recorded one hit and was walked three times.
Moore delivers on Saturday as Auburn wins 2-1
By Kristen Carr
Brody Moore was the hero for Auburn at Plainsman Park on Saturday in the final game of the series against LSU. He was 1-for-3 on the day and 1-for-10 on the weekend, but when the opportunity knocked, he delivered with a walk-off single to give Auburn a 2-1 win over LSU.
Moore stepped up to the plate both literally and figuratively, squeezing a hit past LSU shortstop Jordan Thompson with two outs and bases loaded, bringing Ryan Bliss in to score the winning run.
“That was a pretty good Mother’s Day gift, huh?” Moore said. “The mindset goes from day to day, to at-bat to at-bat. I hadn’t had the best weekend, but you just have to go up to the plate like that never happened. You just have to get back to what you do as an individual player, and if we all do that I think we’re in pretty good shape.”
Auburn also had some success in pitching in game three as Richard Fitts started the game for Auburn and had his best outing of the season, allowing just one run on one hit in a season-high six innings.
Tre’ Morgan, LSU’s leadoff hitter, hit a solo home run early in the game, but Fitts seemed to get the jitters out early and fired back, retiring 13 straight batters and 18 of the final 20 batters he faced. Fitts also finished the day tying his season-high in strikeouts with seven.
Carson Skipper rebounded from Thursday’s game and earned the win. The lefty pitched 2.1 scoreless innings with a season-high four strikeouts. Auburn’s pitchers held LSU to a season-low two hits all game.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Bliss got things started for Auburn with an infield single before Tyler Miller's sacrifice bunt moved Bliss into scoring position.
LSU pitcher Jacob Hastey intentionally walked Rankin Woley to set up a potential double play. But Steven Williams reached first base on catcher’s interference to load the bases with one out.
LSU reliever Ty Floyd struck out the first batter he faced, but Moore saw his window of opportunity and sent the second pitch he saw through the infield to end the game.
“Our guys just keep competing,” said head coach Butch Thompson. “They keep on sticking together and they find themselves in a ballgame. It’s been the most unexplainable year I’ve seen, but they’ve had resilience, stayed together and keep finding a way.
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Jake Weese, senior in journalism with a minor in history, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
Kristen is a sophomore majoring in journalism with a minor in business. She is also the host of our sports podcast, Page 8, that can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud.
Twitter: @kristencarrau
