GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
When a team hits home runs in the late innings, it often means a dramatic victory, like LSU’s 6-3 win over Tennessee on Friday night with a walk-off, three-run home run by Jared Jones to climax a six-run uprising.
Not this time.
No. 5 Tennessee got the three-run home run this time by Cannon Peebles in the eighth and 10 other hits for a dominating, 9-3 win on Saturday night in front of the largest crowd in Alex Box Stadium history at 13,376 … that was also one of the quietest by game’s end. But not as quiet as LSU’s anemic offense overall as the Tigers managed a season-low-tying four hits.
The No. 4 Tigers, trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, made a game of it in dramatic fashion late, much like Friday night. Steven Milam led off the seventh with a home run to right field, and Michael Braswell III followed with a home run to left field, cutting the Vols’ lead to 3-2 off starter Marcus Phillips.
But Phillips recovered to strike out Luis Hernandez and got Chris Stanfield to pop up to Peebles at catcher. Then lefty reliever Dylan Loy came on to get lefty-hitting lead-off hitter Derek Curiel on a ground out to second base. And LSU (35-9, 13-7 Southeastern Conference) was never closer. Curiel’s season-long, 43-game streak of reaching base safely also ended.
“They deserved to win the game tonight from the batter’s box and the pitching mound,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “Tough one there. They made it hard on us.”
Tennessee (35-8, 13-7 SEC) answered LSU’s rally with a vengeance in the top of the eighth, scoring six runs on three hits and two hit batsmen to take a 9-2 lead. Troubled former LSU starting pitcher Chase Shores threw out of the bullpen for the second consecutive weekend and struggled again in that six-run inning. That means junior left-hander Conner Ware (4-1, 4.66 ERA) will likely start Sunday’s series finale at 2 p.m. on the SEC Network. He started ahead of Shores last week in game three of the SEC series against Alabama.
“We haven’t made a final decision just yet,” Johnson said of Sunday’s starting pitcher.
Tennessee also did not list a starter, but Johnson guessed junior right-hander AJ Russell (0-0, 0.00 ERA), who has made only four appearances with three starts. He has seven strikeouts and one walk in five and two-thirds innings.
Shores hit Ariel Antigua to open the eighth inning – never a good strategy. After a ground out, Shores allowed a single to Gavin Kilen. He intentionally walked No. 3 hitter Andrew Fischer to load the bases. Then he unintentionally hit Hunter Ensley to force in a run for a 4-2 deficit, and Shores was gone.
Cooper Williams came on to strike out Reese Chapman for the second out, but he proceeded to give up a two-run single to Dalton Bargo, and it was 6-2 Tennessee. Then Peebles launched a three-run home run to the left field seats for the 9-2 advantage.
John Pearson hit a meaningless solo home run in the LSU eighth to cut Tennessee’s lead to 9-3.
Much like Friday night, Tennessee dominated the early stages of the game. The Vols took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning as it put up three consecutive hits off LSU starter Anthony Eyanson. Chapman doubled to lead off. Bargo singled, and Peebles made it 1-0 with an RBI single. Bargo later scored on an RBI groundout.
And much like Friday night, LSU did not register a hit until the middle innings as Milam led off the fifth with a double off Phillips. Milam reached third on a wild pitch, and pinch-hitter Ashton Larson walked. But Stanfield’s fly ball to right was too shallow to score Milam, who held at third. Then Curiel, one of LSU’s best hitters, tried to sneak a bunt single through for an RBI single, but Phillips threw him out at first to retire the side.
Tennessee took a 3-0 lead in the seventh with a lead-off walk by Andrew Fischer off LSU reliever Mavrick Rizy, a single by Hunter Ensley, a bunt single by Reese Chapman and a sacrifice fly to left field off Shores that scored Fisher.
Eyanson took the loss to fall to 6-2 as LSU’s erratic bullpen again failed to keep the Tigers in the game. Eyanson pitched well enough to win, allowing two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and four walks. LSU’s bullpen allowed seven earned runs on five hits, four walks and three hit batsman.
Phillips (3-3) picked up the victory, allowing two runs on three hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Loy got his second save of the season, allowing one run on one hit with no walks and a strikeout.
“We were pulling every rabbit out of the hat we could to keep it a one-run game,” Johnson said.
Too many rabbits who throw in the mid-to-high 90s continue to struggle to get the ball over the plate however. Big time freshman Williams Schmidt walked the only batter he faced on five pitches. Freshman Mavrick Rizy walked two of the four batters he faced and allowed a hit and a run. Shores gave up four runs. Cooper Williams allowed two runs in a third of an inning.
Johnson will have his best relievers available for Sunday after Ware as freshman right-hander Casan Evans (2-0, 0.67 ERA, 41 strikeouts, 9 walks, 27 innings) has not pitched this weekend. Junior right-hander Zac Cowan (2-0, 1.18 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 6 walks, 38 innings) pitched Friday, but he threw only 13 pitches in two-thirds of an inning.
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