Friday’s Game: Auburn 8, LSU 4

Saturday’s Game: 6 p.m. / SECNetwork+ (streaming)

Maybe LSU should have made a better offer.

Former Tiger Samuel Dutton, who transferred to Auburn in the offseason, baffled his former teammates for six innings and Auburn went on to an 8-4 victory over LSU Friday in the opening game of the Southeastern Conference series.

Dutton (5-2), who pitched mostly out of the bullpen in Baton Rouge last season, came back to haunt his former Tigers, holding LSU scoreless on three hits in his six innings while using a wide array of breaking balls to strike out seven.

The loss broke a nine-game winning streak for No. 3 LSU, which fell to 31-4 overall, 10-3 in the SEC. No. 11 Auburn improved to 24-10, 7-6.

“We need to be self-aware of the things that are correctable,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “But at the same time, the sun comes up tomorrow and there’s another competition, so you want to come out ready and not dwell on the past.”

Dutton left with a 7-0 lead after the sixth before the Tigers scored three in the seventh and one in the ninth on back-to-back doubles by Chris Stanfield and Derek Curiel.

LSU starter Kade Anderson suffered his first loss of the season.

Auburn took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on Chase Fralick’s two-out, two run double and broke it open with four runs during a rainstorm in the fifth inning, the big blow a bases-loaded triple by Ike Irish.

“He did fine,” Johnson said of Anderson. “Auburn has a good line up, one of the better ones in the country. They took a lot of good at-bats.”

The big fifth inning was set up by an error on a potential double-play ground ball by third baseman Tanner Reaves.

Anderson (6-1) lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs, five earned, on six hits. He struck out six.

LSU managed only six hits and struck out 12 times, its most in a game this season.

LSU got its first three runs in the seventh on Derek Curiel’s RBI groundout, followed by a two-run double by Jared Jones.

The two teams will be back at it Saturday at 6 p.m. with LSU’s Anthony Eyanson (5-0. 3.38) pitching against Auburn’s Cade Fisher (0-0, 4.43).

“In our league the challenges keep coming so it’s important for us to be on top of all facets of the game,” Johnson said.