No. 1 Ti-gahs big bats beat UT again, LSU wins 3rd consecutive SEC series

Thursday’s game one of the heavily hyped No.1 LSU vs. No. UT 9 Tennessee series belonged to the pitchers in a 5-2 Tigers’ win.

Friday’s game two was owned by the hitters.

Or to be more specific, LSU’s hitters.

Nine of the Tigers’ 12 hits went for extra bases – seven doubles and two home runs – as LSU edged the Vols 6-4 before an Alex Box Stadium crowd of 12,551.

The win clinched the SEC series for the Tigers (24-3, 6-2 SEC West) heading into Saturday’s game 3 vs. the Vols (20-8, 3-5 SEC East) that starts at 1 p.m. LSU has now opened league playing winning its first three series, the first time the Tigers have done that since 2015 when they won their first six SEC series.

Though the Tigers’ win over UT started auspiciously Friday with Vols’ leadoff hitter Maui Ahuna cracking a game-opening solo homer off LSU starter Ty Floyd, Floyd battled through five innings.

He gave up four earned runs but had the good fortune to get credited for the win. Floyd left the game with LSU winning 5-4 and freshman relivers Chase Shores and Griffin Herring each threw two shutout innings, combining for six strikeouts and no walks.

Herring earned his first save of the season with no hits, no walks and four strikeouts.

LSU second baseman Gavin Dugas and first baseman Tre’ Morgan, the Tigers No. 1 and 2-hole hitters, were a combined 5 of 10 at the plate with RBI, three runs scored, three doubles and a homer.

Dugas and freshman catcher Brady Neal hit back-to-back solo homers in the LSU fourth to re-take the lead at 5-4 off Tennessee starter Chase Burns.

Dugas also led off the LSU sixth with a double, advanced to second on a Morgan ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly RBI by third baseman Tommy White.

“Twelve hits and six runs on the board against those two arms (Burns and UT reliever) Andrew Lindsey is high-level offensive performance,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “We had another great defensive effort and what can you say about our pitching?”