BATON ROUGE, La. – Auburn jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and the bullpen buckled down late in a 7-5 win in the series finale at LSU Sunday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium.
The team's five runs in the first inning surpassed its scoring total in the first two games of the series, and the five hits matched the totals in games one and two.
"I just think they stayed in the series," head coach Butch Thompson said of the offensive approach. "We did get a freshman starter on the mound against us today and got the starter out in the first. The first two starters got length and got as far as they wanted to. They had to make a change immediately in the ballgame. The bats and the approach were in a better spot today."
The bullpen inherited jams of two on with nobody out in the sixth and bases loaded with nobody out in the seventh and minimized the damage to one run between the two innings to preserve a lead and ultimately secure the win.
"Parker Carlson, that was one of those (Blake) Burkhalter games," Thompson said. "He's been working through guys and working through others and pitching good for a while. He got placed as that guy and was able to get to the finish line today."
Carlson pitched a season-high 3.0 innings in scoreless fashion, allowing just one baserunner, and earned his first save of the season and second of his career.
"We needed the win," Carlson said. "We just keep staying in there and keep fighting. We've been saying 'keep fighting' since I've been here and that's just the way this team rolls. We're not going to roll over no matter how the season's going. I'm incredibly proud of each and every one of our guys."
Auburn (21-22, 3-18 SEC) wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard with five two-out runs in the top of the first. After Chris Stanfield sent a leadoff double into the gap in right center, Carter Wright flared a single down the right field line to start the scoring. A single by Christian Hall and hit-by-pitch from Cooper Weiss loaded the bases before Cade Belyeu drove in a pair with a single through the left side. Weiss and Belyeu moved up on a wild pitch, and Caden Green doubled down the left field line to bring both in and make it 5-0.
"The guys started the game off strong and set the tone early, just getting the barrel out," Green said. "My approach was super simple. I was trying to hit the ball the other way, but just ran into it in so we'll take it."
Making his second straight SEC start, Carson Myers retired the first six hitters he faced, and the Tigers extended their lead to six with a two-out RBI single from Belyeu in the third, scoring Wright after a leadoff double.
LSU (28-17, 7-14 SEC) scored its first run after a leadoff walk and two-out single in the third and threatened for more, but Myers induced a three-hole hitter Tommy White to popup to second to end the inning.
Myers retired the first two batters he faced in the fourth, but LSU put two aboard with back-to-back singles and hit a three-run homer cut the lead from five to two.
John Armstrong (1-1) entered to start the fifth and worked a 1-2-3 frame before Green hit his second double of the game to score Belyeu, who notched his third single of the game and stole second, and extend the lead to 7-4.
Will Cannon entered in relief of Armstrong with two on and nobody out in the sixth, and the junior right hander escaped the jam with a strikeout, out on the base paths and groundout to preserve the three-run lead.
LSU loaded the bases with nobody out on two walks and a single in the seventh, and Parker Carlson inherited the jam but did a good job to minimize the damage to one run on a sacrifice fly. He struck out cleanup hitter Jaren Jones on three pitches to end the inning with a 7-5 lead.
Carlson's only baserunner reached on a one-out double in the eighth, and the junior right hander retired the last five LSU hitters he faced to end the game.
Auburn's 13 hits were the most in a league game since recording a season-high 17 hits in the series finale at Texas A&M on Mar. 30. Stanfield and Belyeu led the way with three hits apiece, marking the first career three-hit game for Belyeu. He and Green also matched career highs with three RBI apiece.
The Tigers return home to take on Ole Miss (23-20, 7-14 SEC) Friday through Sunday at Plainsman Park.
Offense early, pitching late leads Auburn over LSU
