Baseball fans in Baton Rouge enjoyed a beautiful Saturday afternoon for game three of the series between top ranked LSU and No. 9 Tennessee.
The Tigers were attempting to sweep Tennessee for the first time since 2018 in Baton Rouge, but that plan did not come to fruition.
LSU baseball did, however, win its first three SEC series for the first time since 2013.
Tennessee jumped on the board early with six runs on four hits in the top of the first inning. Sophomore right hander and LSU’s starter Thatcher Hurd struggled right away, and LSU’s defense didn’t help much with an error.
Hurd only threw 22 pitches and didn’t last through the first inning. He allowed six runs on four hits and didn’t throw a single strikeout. His record for the season now stands at 2-1 as he was charged with the loss.
Junior lefty Riley Cooper relieved Hurd. Cooper did not fare much better against the loud Tennessee bats. Cooper fired 88 total pitches in 5.2 innings but gave up six runs on eight hits with five strikeouts.
On Friday, the No. 6 LSU gymnastics team tied for the top score in the first session of the second-round competition.
Tennessee needed this win to make up for their lackluster performance in the first two games and they delivered on that idea.
The Volunteer offense combined for 17 hits that translated into 14 runs. The pitching duo of sophomore right-hander, starter Drew Beam and senior right-hander Camden Sewell, who was credited with the win, threw 121 total pitches combined. Tennessee had seven strikeouts and allowed 11 hits but the Tigers were only able to turn that into seven runs.
The scoreboard read 10-6 through the first five innings of play and both teams had 10 hits. Tennessee had three errors and LSU had one at the time. Neither team had an error through the final four innings.
The Volunteer offense was led by the trio of sophomore 1st baseman Blake Burke, sophomore catcher Jared Dickey and junior leftfielder Kyle Booker. They each had three hits and combined to score four runs.
“You tip your hat to Tennessee today; we saw another really good pitcher on the mound and their offense is explosive,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “Our players know the things we need to do better that we did not do well today. We’ll work on those and move forward.”
LSU’s offense was led by junior centerfielder Dylan Crews and junior leftfielder Tre’ Morgan. Crews went 4 for 4 at the plate with three RBIs and extended his hit streak to 26 games. Morgan got on base in half of his at-bats, scored twice and had two RBIs.
The final score of 14-7 in game three legitimizes Tennessee as a national championship contender and shows the rest of the NCAA how good the SEC is.
LSU falls to 24-4 on the season and 6-3 in SEC play. Tennessee improves to 21-8 and 4-5 in conference play.
LSU baseball will be back at Alex Box Stadium on Tuesday night for a matchup with in-state rival Nicholls State at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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