Following a series-evening 8-6 victory over No. 1 LSU, Auburn has put itself in position for back-to-back top-five victories heading into game three this afternoon.
Though the Tigers obtained the first lead and re-obtained it after giving up three runs in the fourth with two runs in the fifth, a four-run bottom of the sixth put the War Eagles in a great position heading into the final stretch of the game. That inning featured two switches at pitcher for the No. 1 team, as Javen Coleman walked his first two batters to start the period. Bryce Collins then failed to get the Tigers out of a rough spot.
Riley Cooper was finally able to get them out of the inning, but not before the Tigers saw their one-run lead transformed into a three-run deficit.
They managed runs in the seventh and eighth, with Hayden Travinski nailing a single-run shot to left center off a 3-2 count and Tre’ Morgan scoring off a fielder’s choice to get Tommy White out at third. They found themselves in position to take back the lead in the ninth as well, with the War Eagles hitting Cade Beloso with a pitch and issuing a walk to put two LSU players on base with Morgan at bat.
But Auburn never allowed them to get back within one again after the top of the seventh, responding to Travinski’s seventh-inning homer with one of its own before finishing them off in the final inning. On a 3-2 count against Morgan, Will Cannon pitched a strike, crushing LSU’s final chance at a comeback.
The War Eagles have now managed two solid defensive performances within the series, holding LSU’s pro-filled offense to three and six runs in games one and two respectively.
Prior to last night, just two of the Tigers’ conference series went into game three with the series tied. Those matchups came against No. 6 Arkansas and Kentucky, the latter of which featured its closest call of conference play.
They entered the eighth inning of game three against the Wildcats with the score tied at 6. But with Kentucky hitting White with the bases loaded to grant it a one-run lead and Collins effectively closing out the series with zero runs surrendered through 2.1 innings pitched, the Tigers escaped their tightest chance at dropping an SEC series.
As it stands, LSU and Wake Forest are the only two Power 5 teams left without a blemish in conference play. There’s a realistic chance both perfect runs come to an end today though, with each team facing winner-take-all scenarios against two hot opponents in Auburn and No. 19 Boston College.
Each team’s fate will be decided shortly, with game three of Wake Forest vs. Boston College in progress and game three of LSU vs. Auburn beginning at 1 p.m. CT.
