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AU Media Relations

BATON ROUGE, La. — The sixth-ranked LSU Tigers finished off the sweep Sunday, beating Auburn, 7-6.

It was the second consecutive game LSU won by a single run.

Despite a perfect, 5-for-5 day at the plate for Casey McElroy, the Tigers couldn’t get enough done to pass the Bayou Bengals, who move to 33-12, 14-7 in the SEC. Auburn falls to 25-19 and 8-13 in the conference.

“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 Feb. 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 Brian 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.

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 able to 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.

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.