Auburn drops back-and-forth ballgame to LSU

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn fell to LSU, 9-6, in a game that saw three ties and two lead changes Friday night at Plainsman Park.
 
Auburn (19-23, 5-18 SEC) led 5-3 through six innings thanks to a two-run home run from Ryan Dyal, but LSU (29-17, 9-14 SEC) scored six runs in the final three frames to ultimately win the game and series.
 
"We kept battling," head coach Butch Thompson said. "We give up two, we come back and get two. That's not been our challenge. This has been one of the best offensive efforts we've had."
 
Dyal's two-run homer to break a 3-3 tie in the sixth was his second in as many games and his third in the last four. Steven Williams also homered for the second time this weekend, while Tyler Miller and Ryan Bliss added solo homers.
 
Bliss and Miller collected two hits apiece, and Cam Hill led the way with three hits in the contest, including a game-tying RBI single in the seventh. Williams reached base four times on a hit and three walks.
 
LSU scored on a RBI double three pitches into the game and added another on a sacrifice fly, but Auburn responded in the bottom of the first with a pair of solo home runs from Miller and Williams.
 
Bliss broke the 2-2 tie with a solo homer of his own in the bottom of the third, his 11th of the season. He added a double later in the game, marking his fifth extra-base hit of the series.
 
After LSU tied it up with three singles in the fifth, Dyal hit his aforementioned home run to give Auburn a two-run lead. However, the visiting Tigers immediately answered with three runs on three hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch in the top of the seventh.
 
Hill evened the game back up with a RBI single back up the middle, but LSU scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the eighth and added two more on a homer in the ninth.
 
The series finale is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. CT at Plainsman Park.