LSU fails to sweep Tennessee, loses 14-7

The Volunteers score 10 runs in the first two innings to avoid getting swept in two of its first three SEC weekend series.

No.10 Tennessee avoids the sweep as it convincingly defeats No.1 LSU 14-7 Saturday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium. Tennessee’s 14 runs were the most runs LSU has allowed all season.

Tennessee improves its overall record to 20-8 and its conference record to 4-5.

Camden Sewell (2-0) picked up his second win of the year. Sewell’s final line was three hits, one earned, one walk and three strikeouts through 2.2 innings.

Tennessee started right-hander Drew Beam. Beam’s final line was eight hits, six runs (one earned) and four strikeouts through four innings.

LSU starting pitcher Thatcher Hurd was charged with his first loss of the season. Hurd struggled mightily as he only pitched in the first inning before being replaced by reliever Riley Cooper. In his only inning, Hurd’s final line was four hits, six runs (all earned), two walks and no strikeouts.

In the first and second innings, Tennessee would score a combined 10 runs, the most the Tigers have allowed in two innings this season.

After Hurd walked Tennessee shortstop Maui Ahuna, the Volunteers would hammer three straight hits to take the lead 3-0, forcing Johnson to pull Hurd for reliever Riley Cooper. Tennessee would score three more runs to make the score 6-0 after Cooper walked Denton with the bases loaded, a fielder’s choice and a sac bunt by right fielder Christian Scott.

With Tennessee leading 6-0 entering the second inning, center fielder Hunter Ensley would continue his strong performance this weekend when he smacked a two-run double to left-center field to give the Vols an 8-0 lead.

After left fielder Kyle Booker sent an RBI double down the left field line to extend Tennessee’s lead to 9-0. Christian Scott’s RBI single sent Kyle Booker home to make the score 10-0 going into the bottom of the second.

In the bottom of the second, LSU would score its first run of the game after Jared Jones comes home after Jordan Thompson’s single, but Thompson would get thrown out at second after he gets gunned down going for second after an errant throw. Catcher Brady Neal would then strike out to end the inning.

Even though LSU was down 10-1 through two innings, the Tigers refused to give up as they would score five runs in the next two innings.

In the third, center fielder Dylan Crews would bring home left fielder Tre Morgan with an RBI single to make the score 10-2.

After LSU would hold Tennessee to another scoreless inning, LSU would score four runs in the fourth inning to significantly cut into the Volunteers’ lead. With two outs and the bases loaded, Morgan would send home two runners for a two-run double.

With Morgan on second base and second baseman Gavin Dugas on third base, Crews would send home both of them after he lines a single down the middle of the field to make the score 10-6 at the end of the fourth inning. Unfortunately for LSU, they would not score a single run until the eighth inning.

After a scoreless fifth inning, Tennessee would add two more runs to the scoreboard when Denton torpedoed a two-run HR over the left field wall to extend Tennessee’s lead to 12-6.

In the seventh inning, Tennessee would add two more runs to the scoreboard after second baseman Christian Moore’s RBI sac fly and catcher Jared Dickey’s RBI single to make it 15-6.

LSU third baseman Tommy White would hit an RBI single in the eighth to account for the final margin.

The Tigers will host Louisiana on Tuesday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. CT at Alex Box Stadium before hitting the road and taking on a surging South Carolina team.