The player who gave Auburn the best chance to beat No. 11 Florida State wasn’t even on the field when the Tigers mounted a comeback.

Scott Shuman was in the dugout, watching.

He watched as his team battled back, but fell just a run short to the Seminoles, 6-5, on Friday at Plainsman Park.

Shuman, who came in to relieve Auburn starter Cory Luckie in the top of the fourth, threw six innings of three-hit baseball, allowing one run and single-handedly kept the Tigers within striking distance of Florida State (5-0).

“Scott Shuman was the story today,” AU head baseball coach Tom Slater said. “He gave us a chance to win the game. He was outstanding out of the bullpen. He really threw the ball well — a lot of sink in his fastball, a lot of ground balls, not a lot of hard contact.

“Scott really gave us a chance to win the game.”

Shuman retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced, including the final 14.

Auburn just needed some offense, which if finally got in the bottom of the ninth.

Trailing 6-2 heading into the final inning, Auburn put together a rally.

Joseph Sanders started the final inning off with a single to centerfield for the Tigers. Kevin Patterson followed with a base hit to right, moving Sanders to third. Matt Hall reached on an error at third base, which allowed Sanders to score to start the rally.

A sacrifice fly by Tony Caldwell, which scored Patterson, made it 6-4 with one out. AU second baseman Justin Hargett’s single to left scored Caldwell, to put the winning run at the plate.

However, back-to-back strikeouts by Ben Jones and Trent Mummey ended the comeback and the game.

“Offensively, we were not good today,” Slater said. “I thought we had some pitches we should have hit. We had a nice run late, again. Credit our kids. We did get the winning run to the plate – give ourselves a chance to win the game.

“But Scott Shuman did that by the way he pitched out of the bullpen for us.”

Shuman’s six innings of relief was a career long for the sophomore right-hander.

Luckie (1-1), a freshman lefty making his second start of the season, struggled early, according to Slater.

“It wasn’t a good day for him,” Slater said of his starting pitcher. “His changeup is his best pitch and he didn’t have it going at all. The only pitch he really had going today was his curveball, and that’s really his third-best pitch. And when the best pitch working for you is the third-best one, it’s probably not going to be a good day on the mound.

“But, Cory will bounce back. He’s a competitor.”

Starter Matt Fairel (2-0) earned the win for the Seminoles.

For Auburn offensively, Patterson was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Sanders was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Auburn now heads to Tallahassee, Fla., to finish the four-game series with FSU, who will host the Tigers on Saturday and Sunday.

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