LSU baseball traveled to Athens, Georgia, for a pivotal SEC showdown against the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs—a team that entered the series with an impressive 18-6 conference record, sitting 2.5 games ahead of Texas and Texas A&M. For the Tigers, every win counts as they fight for postseason positioning from the outside looking in.

If you love offense, Friday night’s game delivered. The two teams combined for 19 runs, but unfortunately for LSU, Georgia came out on top 11-8. The game was a back-and-forth battle, tied heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. That’s when the Dawgs struck for three runs to seal the win. Here are three key takeaways from the Tigers' tough loss.

Control issues prove costly
LSU pitchers combined for seven walks, two wild pitches, and two hit batters—a recipe for disaster against a top-tier team like Georgia. While they managed 11 strikeouts, the free passes came back to haunt them in a close game against the No. 5 team in the country.

Monster Milam sets the tone
Shortstop Monster Milam got the scoring started for LSU and finished the night 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two walks. He’s been putting together strong performances both at the plate and in the field recently, providing a spark in the lineup.

Omar Serna Jr. returns with a bang
There were questions when Omar Serna Jr. was left out of the lineup against Tulane earlier this week, but he made his presence felt in a big way on Friday. In the top of the third inning, he launched a solo home run to give LSU a 3-2 lead, showing why he’s a key piece of the Tigers' offense.