SEC/ACC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP: S.C. eliminates Auburn from tourney

HOOVER, Ala. – Auburn’s stay at the 2012 SEC Baseball Tournament ended on Thursday afternoon when South Carolina eliminated it, 5-3. The loss dropped Auburn’s record to 31-28 while South Carolina improved to 40-16.

“I’m really proud, first of all and foremost, of how our team competed today,” Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. “I thought they battled all three games of this tournament. Today was another battle for us. I thought (Michael) Roth threw the ball extremely well. Unfortunately, we didn’t have many opportunities.”

South Carolina jumped out to a five-run lead off of Cory Luckie (2-2) and Slade Smith in the first five innings, building a lead that ultimately proved too large for Auburn to chip away.

Auburn had just two base runners through the first four innings off of the South Carolina ace Roth (6-1). Jay Gonzalez led off the first with a single but was later picked off first and Creede Simpson hit a one-out single in the fourth but was thrown out trying to steal second.

South Carolina, meanwhile, scored single runs in the first and second as Joey Pankake doubled and scored on a Christian Walked sac fly in the first and Adam Matthews singled and scored on an Erik Payne double in the second. South Carolina would finish the game with five extra-base hits (four doubles, a triple) while Auburn had just two extra-base knocks.

South Carolina built a 4-0 lead in the fourth when LB Dantzler singled and scored and Grayson Greiner doubled and scored on a bases-loaded walk off of Smith.

LSU 11, OLE MISS 2:

HOOVER, Ala.