LSU claims largest comeback of the season



Photo: Jimmy Mitchell

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HOOVER, Ala. -- The LSU Tigers stormed back in their largest comeback win of the season with a six-run fifth inning to battle past Auburn, 9-8 in Game 7.

LSU will advance to the winners' bracket to play the winner of Game 8 Thursday in the SEC Baseball Tournament. Auburn will advance to play the loser of Game 8.

"Somehow, we just found a way to win the game," said LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. "That ot me is a credit to our kids - they really hang in there. Our guys don't flinch. They know we have a good offensive team and they're not going to give up when we fall behind like that."

LSU's fifth inning clinched the Tigers' comeback to lead Auburn for the first time in the game, by one. The six-run inning was sparked by Jake Fraley's single to center field, followed by a Conner Hale two-run single, a one-run double by Kade Scivicque, a Chris China double and rounded out by a Chris Sciambra single.

"I think we were just trying to get on base (in the fifth inning) and get it to the next person," said LSU's Jared Foster. "We kept it rolling, took it one pitch at a time and it worked."

Auburn came out of the dugout after a lightning delay with a five-run first inning. Blake Logan started the inning with a single to left field allowing Melvin Gray to get the score. The next pitch, Alex Polston hit another single to left as Damon Haecker and Daniel Robert ran in runs. Two pitches later, Cody Nulph doubled to deep left center as Polston took home the run.

LSU answered in the second when Sciambra doubled to right as Andrew Stevenson ran in the Tigers' first run. The following pitch, Jared Foster hit a home run to left feld, as he and Sciambra brough in two runs to trail Auburn by two.

Auburn answered with two runs in the third and one in the fourth by Jordan Ebert and Gray, respectively.

LSU received its regular-season trophy prior to the start of the game, after finishing first in the SEC with a record of 46-9 and a 21-8 SEC record.

"I think we are a very resilient team," said LSU shortstop Alex Bregman. "We are going to battle to the end. That's how we've done it all year and that's what we are going to continue to do."

Top-seeded LSU improves to 47-9 on the season and a league-best 73-38 all-time in the SEC Tournament. LSU will play the winner of Game 8 - Florida vs. Arkansas, Thursday after the conclusion of Game 11, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Auburn falls to 35-23 this season and will play the loser of Florida vs. Arkansas after the conclusion of Game 9, which begins at 9:30 a.m. on SEC Network.

"They won the first three innings of the game," Bregman said. "Our coaches said, 'let's win the last five,' and that's what we did."