AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn held No. 1 LSU to its lowest offensive output of the season but fell 3-0 in the series opener Friday night at Plainsman Park.
"All the way through, just a nice job all around," head coach Butch Thompson said. "They just shoved it on us on the mound. That was the difference in the ballgame."
Auburn outhit LSU seven to five in the contest, but starting pitcher Paul Skenes (9-1) pitched 7.1 shutout innings and tallied a career high in strikeouts.
Chase Allsup (0-1), Tanner Bauman, Chase Isbell and Hayden Murphy held LSU to three runs on five hits. It marked the third game this season the Tigers were held to three runs, including the first time since the fourth Southeastern Conference game of the season on Mar. 24.
It also marked the seventh time this season Auburn has held the opponent to three or fewer runs in a series opener.
"I thought our four pitchers gave us something," Thompson added. "Allsup, Bauman, Isbell was great. We put him right in the middle of Crews and White. Then Murphy, he looked shorter with his stride, on top of the ball, had his stuff set and just drove it in the strike zone. Even that ninth inning is good for him."
LSU (37-8, 16-5 SEC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the third pitch of the game on a hit batter and two-run home run. However, making his first career SEC start, Allsup responded by retiring the next seven hitters he faced and ultimately got through the top of the fourth holding LSU to the two runs.
The visiting Tigers drew a walk to start the fifth, and Bauman entered in relief of Allsup, who logged a career high with 4.0 innings of work. Facing the top of the lineup, Bauman struck out the first batter he faced, but a one-out single and two-out intentional walk loaded the bases. However, the junior lefty induced a ground ball back to the mound to escape the inning unscathed.
Kason Howell singled to start the bottom of the inning, marking his second hit of the game. Chris Stanfield followed three batters later with his second hit to put two aboard with two outs, but a strikeout ended the inning.
After Bauman worked a clean sixth frame in his second inning of work, Bryson Ware doubled with two outs in the sixth but was left there as a flyout to center field sent the game to the seventh.
LSU added to its lead with a one-out RBI single after a balk moved the runner into scoring position in the seventh. Isbell entered with one out in the frame and retired three and four hitters Dylan Crews and Tommy White on a flyout and strikeout to keep the deficit at three.
Isbell worked a scoreless eighth and Murphy retired LSU in order with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth to give the home Tigers a chance in their last at-bat.
Cooper McMurray singled up the middle to start the bottom of the ninth, but LSU reliever Thatcher Hurd entered and retired the next three Auburn batters to end the game.
Game two between Auburn and LSU is scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
Auburn falls in opener vs. No. 1 LSU
