HOOVER (Interstat) — In a Southeastern Conference tournament matchup of Tigers, Auburn’s pitching staff stifled LSU’s offense and third baseman Eric Guevara delivered a decisive home run, lifting third-seeded Auburn to a 3-1 victory Wednesday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Jake Marciano earned the win for Auburn, allowing one earned run on four hits over six innings, striking out four. The right-hander, who had taken a loss in his previous start against Georgia on May 14, surrendered only a fourth-inning sacrifice fly before settling in. Jackson Sanders followed with three scoreless innings of relief, striking out two and earning the save.

Auburn improved to 37-18 overall; LSU fell to 30-28.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth inning, when LSU broke through against Marciano. Derek Curiel doubled down the right-field line and advanced to third on a walk to Steven Milam. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, John Pearson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Curiel for a 1-0 lead.

Auburn answered immediately in the bottom half. Catcher Chase Fralick, who had struck out in his first at-bat, crushed a solo home run to left field off LSU starter Casan Evans, tying the game 1-1. Evans, who struck out eight in 4⅔ innings, allowed only that one hit but exited after 80 pitches.

The pivotal moment came in the fifth inning. With two outs, Auburn shortstop Brandon McCraine singled and Mason McCraine walked. After a strikeout, rookie Cade Rembert lined a single up the middle that scored Brandon McCraine from second. The run was unearned because of a throwing error by LSU second baseman Steven Milam, allowing the runner to advance and score. Auburn took a 2-1 lead.

LSU turned to reliever Ethan Plog, who recorded the final out of the fifth. But the Tigers’ bullpen couldn’t keep Auburn quiet. In the sixth, with Zac Cowan on the mound, Guevara led off with a solo homer to left, padding the lead to 3-1. Guevara finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

From there, Sanders shut down LSU. Over the final three innings, he retired nine of the 10 batters he faced, allowing only a walk. The Tigers managed just one hit after the fourth inning – a bunt single by Curiel in the sixth – and went down in order in the seventh, eighth and ninth.

LSU had its best chance to rally in the ninth. Curiel walked with one out, but was forced out on a fielder’s choice. Colin Simpson then walked, putting the tying run on base, but Pearson grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

Fralick finished 1 for 4 with the home run and an RBI. Curiel was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk for LSU. Pearson drove in the lone run.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Auburn 5, LSU 4. Interstat’s ELO system had given LSU a 51.70 percent probability to win. Auburn was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 2½.