Auburn took down No. 12 LSU on Saturday, clinching its first series win in Baton Rouge since 2011. The blue-and-orange Tigers are now 19-9 on the season.
"We keep doing things with a lot of people contributing and it being team wins," said head coach Butch Thompson. "We've been seeing this coming for months. This was a tough stretch, and our guys have battled. It's big to win two series on the road. I'm proud of them for that."
Auburn got ahead early. In the top of the first, Brody Moore hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Kason Howell, who got on with a walk.
Joseph Gonzalez got the start for Auburn, his first in a weekend series since Middle Tennessee on March 13. LSU was able to take a run in the second after it started off the inning with three singles. He quickly settled down, drawing zeroes in the box score for the next four innings.
Meanwhile, Auburn's offense had trouble getting anything past the LSU defense, until Ryan Dyal found a gap in center to score Cole Foster.
Sonny DiChiara had a career day at the plate. He went 4-for-5, including a home run and three RBIs.
"This one definitely feels awesome," DiChiara said. "My first four-hit game in a conference game being down here at The Box is awesome. It's so fun playing in environments like this.”
While only striking out one in his six inning start, Gonzalez held LSU to three runs and one walk. His other two earned runs were credited in the seventh, where two purple-and-gold Tigers were able to cross the plate as Carson Skipper took over on the bump. Gonzalez earned the win for his efforts.
After LSU pulled back to within one, two RBIs from Howell and DiChiara put the game out of reach in the eighth.
Blake Burkhalter filled in his usual closer role, going 2.2 IP, striking out three and only allowing one run, a solo homer from Tre' Morgan. Burkhalter is up to six saves on the season this year.
"That was huge," Burkhalter said. "We needed that. It was big for the team, especially in front of this crowd and getting the job done."
Auburn will travel to Birmingham's Regions Field for a midweek matchup against UAB. That game on Tuesday at 5 p.m. will preview the Tigers' home series against No. 2 Vanderbilt, which starts Friday.
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Dylan Fox, Junior in Civil Site Design Engineering, joined The Plainsman as a sports writer in Spring 2020. From Geneva, IL.
