Auburn baseball clinches series win vs. No. 1 LSU with run-rule victory
A week after taking two of three from second-ranked South Carolina on the road, Auburn baseball padded its resume with another impressive series win, this time against the nation’s No. 1 team.
Auburn run-ruled top-ranked LSU, 12-2, on Sunday afternoon to clinch a series win at Plainsman Park. It was the third consecutive weekend series victory for Butch Thompson’s program since dropping two of three at rival Alabama last month. Since then, the Tigers have taken series against Mississippi State, South Carolina and LSU.
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The latest win pushed Auburn to 27-19-1 overall on the year and 11-13 in SEC play with two weeks left in the regular season. Auburn still has upcoming weekend matchups at Ole Miss next weekend and then at home against Missouri to close out the slate.
After LSU took the series opener Friday evening with a 3-0 shutout win, Auburn took the Saturday and Sunday matchups at Plainsman Park. Thompson’s team scratched out an 8-6 win Saturday night before surging to a run-rule victory in eight innings Sunday afternoon. It was the first time this season LSU dropped a weekend series.
Auburn set the tone in Sunday’s rubber match with a six-run first inning after LSU struck first with a run in the top of the frame. Caden Green drove in two runs in the first to cap the six-run inning for Auburn, which started off with a bases-loaded RBI single from Ike Irish. Bryson Ware, Cooper McMurray and Kason Howell each drove in a run with bases-loaded walks.
McMurray, who was 3-of-4 with three RBI on the afternoon, drove in another run in the second to push Auburn’s lead to 7-1. Auburn added two more in the fourth thanks to a two-run triple from Howell, who was 2-of-3 at the plate with a pair of triples and five RBI. Howell’s second triple of the afternoon came in the the sixth and also drove in two runs.
Auburn sealed the win in the eighth when McMurray lined a single down the right-field line to push the score to 12-2 and trigger the run rule.
Christian Herberholz picked up the win on the mound after throwing five innings and giving up two runs, one earned, while striking out four. Drew Nelson pitched three scoreless innings of relief while allowing just one hit and striking out three.
Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.