The No. 12 LSU softball team defeated three ranked squads in three days to reach its first Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship Game since 2010 on Saturday.

They couldn’t make it four against No. 8 Auburn.

Poor pitching and fielding errors at the start of the contest ultimately doomed LSU (45-15) as it fell to Auburn (49-9) 7-1. The eighth-ranked Tigers used a four-run second to break the scoreless deadlock and take a lead they would not relinquish.
Freshman Sydney Smith started in the circle for the twelfth-ranked Tigers looking to bounce back from a shaky outing in the Tournament opener against Texas A&M. But the moment proved too big for the rookie hurler.

In 1.2 innings, she gave up three hits, hit a batter and issued a walk. Smith’s performance loaded the bases, but errors allowed the runs to score.

Junior second baseman Constance Quinn bobbled a two-out ground ball off the bat of Auburn senior left fielder Tiffany Howard just long enough for the outfielder to reach first and keep the inning alive.

With the bases juiced, a two-RBI single and a throwing error cleared the bases, bringing home three more runners home for a 4-0 Auburn advantage.
The No. 12 Tigers responded with a run of their own in the third but could not produce another throughout the remainder of the game.

LSU sophomore gunslinger Carley Hoover replaced Smith and started well, retiring seven of the first eight batters she faced. But Auburn’s lineup couldn’t be held down for long. In the fifth, Auburn tacked on a run to pad its lead, and in the sixth Howard blasted a two-run home run, virtually ending the matchup.

Despite the loss, LSU’s overall performance in the event secures a top-16 seed and, with it, a NCAA Regional host bid.

There’s a chance if they make the second round that they could host a NCAA Super Regional. But LSU will likely need upsets to make that scenario a reality.
LSU will find out its postseason fate on Sunday during the NCAA Selection Show starting at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.