Tennessee Shuts Down LSU to Even Series

If Saturday’s game at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field felt familiar, it’s because it was. Early on Saturday’s game was practically a shot-for-shot remake of Friday night’s game, but this time Tennessee broke things open late and held on for a 9-3 win.

Tennessee’s starting pitching, once again, shut down LSU’s batting. Like last night, LSU would only manage one hit through the first six innings. Marcus Phillips was marvelous, throwing six shutout innings and only allowing one hit. Anthony Eyanson, meanwhile, had a perfectly fine outing (5.2 innings, six hits, eight Ks, four walks) but got done absolutely no favors by his offense.

Phillips and Eyanson traded zeros for the first three innings before Tennessee broke through with two runs in the top of the fourth.

The Vols strung together three straight hits from Reese Chapman, Dalton Bargo, and Cannon Peebles to plate its first run of the contest. They were then able to push a second run across when Eyanson tried for what would have been an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play. Instead, however, Peebles was running and by the time Eyanson made the throw over to second base, the runner had beaten the throw and the Vols were able to get Bargo home for a 2-0 lead.

Eyanson’s night was done after throwing 111 pitches and he handed the ball to William Schmidt with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. Schmidt walked the only batter he faced and was immediately replaced by Mavrick Rizy.

Rizy ended up walking the first batter he faced as well to load the bases but he was able to get a groundball out to end the threat.

The seventh inning was eventful to say the least. Rizy ended up putting the first two batters aboard and he was lifted for DJ Primeaux. Primeaux would only face two batters and the first one, Chapman, reached because of a swinging bunt single that barely got to the infield grass. Primeaux struck out the next batter he faced and was pulled for Chase Shores, who once again came out of the bullpen.

A sac fly by Peeples pushed Tennessee’s lead to 3-0, but the Tigers finally got on the board in the seventh inning when Steven Milam went deep to right field. Two pitches later, Michael Braswell went deep to left and the back-to-back solo shots cut the deficit from 3-0 down to 3-2.

Whatever momentum LSU grabbed in the seventh was immediately handed back to Tennessee in the eighth as the Vols put up a six-spot. More damning than anything is Tennessee only needed three hits to plate six runs. Shores hit the leadoff man and gave up a hit to put two on. LSU elected to intentionally walk Fischer to load the bases and Shores responded by plunking Hunter Ensley to walk in Tennessee’s fourth run of the night.

Shores’ night was over after that and he handed the ball to Cooper Williams. Bargo then hit a two-run single to push Tennessee’s lead to 6-2, and then Peeples delivered the killshot with a three-run home run to left field and made the score 9-2.

John Pearson rocketed a solo home run in the home half of the eighth inning to cut into Tennessee’s lead, but it was hardly enough. LSU finished the night with four hits, while the Tiger bullpen handed out seven free passes.

LSU and Tennessee will play the rubber match Sunday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 P.M. While it’s not officially announced, I’m assuming Connor Ware will get the start like last Sunday, and Jay Johnson will try and really lean on Zac Cowan and Casan Evans to provide some length.