Despite eight strikeouts on the day, LSU sophomore pitcher Alex Lange walked four batters and plated a run on a wild pitch during Auburn’s four-run third inning, as No. 19 LSU dropped Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader, 8-5, at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Alabama.
On 109 pitches, Lange lasted 6.2 innings in his seventh start of the season, allowing a career-high seven earned runs on five hits. He walked six, threw three wild pitches and hit another batter.
All but one Auburn (13-13, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) run scored against Lange came in the third and fourth innings, and Auburn need just three hits to do so.
Auburn catcher Blake Logan’s double with the bases loaded in the third cleared the bases and gave the home Tigers a 4-0 lead. Then, in the fourth, Auburn left fielder Joshua Palacios belted a two-run shot with two outs in the frame.
Auburn pushed all of its runs across with two outs, and Lange had already reached 75 pitches by the end of the fourth inning.
Though it outhit its opponent for the third time in four conference games, LSU (16-9, 2-5 SEC) left 11 men on base, grounding into double plays with runners on first and second in the second and sixth innings.
After picking up two runs in fourth off junior pinch hitter Jordan Romero’s two-out, two-run double down the right field line, cutting the Auburn lead to 4-2, Auburn starting pitcher Justin Camp punched out junior second baseman Cole Freeman with runners on second and third.
Camp completed five innings on the mound, allowing just two runs on four hits in spite of four walks.
In the fifth, junior center fielder Jake Fraley, who walked and stole second, was thrown out at the plate on sophomore first baseman Greg Deichmann’s single through the left side. Sophomore left fielder Beau Jordan popped up to end the frame.
With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Deichmann hammered a line drive right at Auburn second baseman Damon Haecker, who stepped on second base for the inning-ending unassisted double play.
Lange then surrendered his seventh and final run off of another run-scoring double by Logan. Sophomore right-hander Doug Norman recorded the final out of the inning, giving way to junior right-hander Russell Reynolds in the eighth. But Reynolds couldn’t avoid more damage, giving up an RBI single by Auburn center fielder Anfernee Grier.
Grier, Auburn’s leading hitter, went 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and three runs scored.
Down 8-5 in the ninth, LSU attempted to mount a comeback, plating three runs off of Fraley’s RBI single and Deichmann’s two-run blast.
But, with runners on first and second and two outs, Auburn reliever Izaac Yarbrough struck out freshman pinch hitter Trey Dawson, earning him the save and clinching the series-opening victory