McElroy Goes 5-for-5 But Auburn Drops A Second Consecutive One-Run Game

[AUSportTalk 4]

Casey McElroy delivered a perfect day at the plate,

going 5-for-5 with five singles, and Brian Fletcher drove in three runs

but for the second straight day, Auburn dropped a one-run game at No. 6

LSU, falling by identical 7-6 scores on Saturday and Sunday. The loss

completed a sweep for LSU, which moved to 33-12, 14-7 Southeastern

Conference, while Auburn fell to 25-19, 8-13 SEC.

“Losing three games at home or on the road is tough,” Auburn Head Coach

John Pawlowski said. “We just didn’t hit in the clutch and we had no

situational hitting. We really struggled when we really needed a big hit

and unfortunately that was the difference in the ballgame.”

Bradley Hendrix (7-3) suffered his first loss since February 26 against

Elon, allowing three runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief of

starter Dexter Price. Price, who was making his first career appearance

in league play, allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in 4 1/3

innings.

“Dexter did a good job for us. He kept his composure, being on the road

and in his first SEC start. I saw some real positives out there. He

competed very well,” Pawlowski said. “Casey has been pretty steady all

year and he played some good defense here this weekend too. Those were

some of the positives.”

Matty Ott recorded the final four outs for LSU to earn his 10th save of

the season, entering with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth and

LSU ahead 7-4. He surrendered a two-run single to Fletcher in the eighth

that allowed Auburn to slice the deficit to a run but then recorded a

strikeout to end the eighth and then worked around a leadoff walk and a

one-out hit batter in the ninth to nail down the save, inducing a

game-ending double play out of Justin Hargett.

“We had the bases loaded a couple of times with some of the middle of

the lineup guys up and we weren’t able to manufacture even one run,”

Pawlowski said. “We had a couple of big strikeouts just when we didn’t

need them. When LSU needed to make a pitch, they made a pitch. When they

needed to make a play, they made a play. They were certainly better than

us this weekend.”

Daniel Bradshaw (3-0) picked up the win in relief, entering in the fifth

with two outs and the bases loaded. He walked Wes Gilmer for Auburn’s

fourth run of the game and then had to pitch out of trouble in the sixth

before turning it over to the bullpen in the eighth following a hit

batter and a walk. He was charged with two runs on three hits and three

walks in 2 1/3 innings.

LSU struck for a pair of second inning runs on a Buzzy Haydel RBI double

and a Ryan Schimpf RBI fielder’s choice with the bases loaded that

Auburn was unable to turn two on.

Auburn evened the game at 2-2 as Hunter Morris drilled the first pitch

he saw in the third inning to right for his second home run of the

series and 12th of the year. McElroy collected his second hit of the day

prior to the Morris blast, which extended Auburn’s consecutive games

with a home run streak to eight.

Auburn sent eight men to the plate, facing three different LSU pitchers,

in the top of the fifth to go up 4-2. Trent Mummey and McElroy each

singled off of LSU starter Austin Ross to knock the right hander out of

the game after 4 1/3 innings. Paul Bertuccini entered and after striking

out Morris walked Ben Jones to load the bases and then hit Fletcher to

give Auburn the go-ahead run. Bradshaw then came in and issued the walk

to Gilmer on eight pitches for Gilmer’s third RBI of the weekend before

getting Tony Caldwell to pop-out in foul territory to end the inning.

Ross was charged for four runs on six hits and three walks, striking out

five.

Price threw into the fifth inning and left with Auburn up 4-2 and

runners on first and second following a Jared Mitchell one-out single

and a Blake Dean walk.

Hendrix was ablto record the second out of the fifth but then surrendered a three-run

home run to Tyler Hanover, the second straight day that he has tagged a

home run off the Auburn pitching staff. A pair of singles followed

Hanover’s blast, with Mickie Mahtook scoring on Micah Gibbs’ single

after stealing second, LSU’s third stolen base of the inning, to go up

6-4.

Auburn threatened to get some runs back in the top of the sixth, loading

the bases with one out on consecutive singles by Mummey, Hargett and

McElroy, his fourth hit of the afternoon, but Bradshaw induced an

infield fly pop-up out of Morris and a line-out to left out of Jones to

keep it a two-run LSU advantage.

LSU used a two-out rally to extend its lead to 7-4 after six complete as

Mitchell hustled into second for a two-out double, went to third on a

Hendrix wild pitch and scored on LeMahieu’s RBI single off of Scott

Shuman, who had come in after a walk by Dean. Hendrix, who saw action in

all three games in the series, was charged for a run on four hits and a

walk, striking out two. For the series, Hendrix threw 3 2/3 innings,

allowing three runs on eight hits while also allowing all three of the

runners he inherited to score after allowing just six of 17 to score

coming into the series.

Auburn got to within a run in the top of the eighth as Fletcher

delivered a two-out, two-run single to right with the bases loaded.

Mummey was hit by a Bradshaw pitch and then walked Hargett before being

lifted in favor of Chad Jones, who was making his first career

appearance on the mound. A safety on the LSU football team, he allowed

McElroy’s fifth single of the day to load the bases but then got Morris

and Jones swinging before taking his seat in the dugout in favor of LSU

closer Matt Ott. Ott surrendered the single to Fletcher on a 1-0 pitch

but then struck out Gilmer on three pitches to end the inning.

McElroy’s five-hit game was the first for Auburn since Joseph Sanders

had five hits at Mercer on May 13, 2008.

Auburn returns home for four of its next five games, playing a

home-and-home with Troy on Tuesday and Wednesday before playing host to

No. 11 Ole Miss next weekend. Tuesday’s game with Troy starts at 6pm CT

at Plainsman Park while the 6pm Wednesday game will be played at

Riddle-Pace Field at Troy. All tickets to Tuesday’s home game are two

dollars.

[Jackson-Sullivan 0]

What a frustrating series to say the least.  Man, those guys are hard to listen to.  There is no way they should have lost game 2.  Stupid mistakes cost us there, and they had every chance in the world to put the corndogs away several times yesterday and failed to do so.  SO FRUSTRATING!!!!!  It is just sad to say that probably knocked us out of the tourney.  I will just have to hold out hope that we can somehow take care of business the rest of the way and get a little help.  I think Slater is doing a good job with what he's got, FWIW.  War Eagle!!!!

[ausbest14 0]

Are you calling Coach Paw, Slater II, or was that just a brain poot?  LOL

[AUSportTalk 4]

Are you calling Coach Paw, Slater II, or was that just a brain poot?  LOL

I def wouldn't call Coach Paw Slater II by no means....he has these guys playing better than any other coach could have.....they will continue to get better.....as soon as we get some good recruiting from the pitching standpoint Auburn will be just fine

[ausbest14 0]

I think Slater is doing a good job with what he's got, FWIW.  War Eagle!!!!

Was simply a joke, though I have questioned some of his moves...There are those in the profession, however, who claim that a 3 or more run loss indicates the better team won.  Less than that, it's normally the coach's fault.  We lost back-to-back, 1-run games, so make of it what you will.  I don't necessarily agree that the suggestion is always true, but if it becomes a pattern, there is definitely some truth to it (recall the '08 Braves). 

[Jackson-Sullivan 0]

Definitely an error on my part, or as you said, a brain poot!  Ha!!!  I love that word poot!!!  Anyways, yeah, don't remind me of that painful streak by the Braves in '08.  Man, that was brutal!