JOURNAL SPORTS
HOOVER, Ala. – LSU didn’t roll over at the SEC Tournament but its long-shot bid to defend last year’s College World Series championship went belly up Wednesday night.
Pitchers Jake Marciano and Jackson Sanders combined to limit LSU to one run on four hits, leading sixth-seeded Auburn to a 3-1 win over No. 14 LSU in the second round of the SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
On the heels of a gritty 6-2 victory Tuesday night/Wednesday morning over 11th-seeded Oklahoma, LSU’s agonizing, frustrating season ended at 30-28. The Tigers are not considered a candidate to receive an at-large NCAA Tournament berth when regional pairings after announced Monday. LSU coach Jay Johnson said the only path he saw for the Tigers was to win the conference tournament to earn an automatic invitation.
Auburn rose to 37-18 and advanced to face Texas A&M Friday in the tournament quarterfinals.
“Our players gave everything they had in this tournament,” said Johnson. “It’s hard, it’s raw right now; you could hear a pin drop in our dugout after the final out tonight. Until the last out, we believed we could come back and win the game.”
They had the go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the ninth with runners at first and second but John Pearson grounded out to shortstop for the final out.
LSU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Derek Curiel led off with a double and later scored on Pearson’s sacrifice fly.
Auburn tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when catcher Chase Fralick launched a solo homer, his 14th dinger of the year.
Auburn capitalized on an LSU throwing error to score a run in the fifth and extended its lead to 3-1 in the sixth on a solo blast by third baseman Eric Guevara, who increased his season home run total to 12.
Marciano (5-5) earned the win, allowing one run on four hits in 6.0 innings with one walk and four strikeouts.
Sanders picked up his fourth save of the season, firing 3.0 shutout innings with no hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
LSU starting pitcher Casan Evans (2-4) was charged with the loss after allowing two runs – one earned – on four hits in 4.2 innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.