It was another late night tournament game for LSU baseball, but this time the after hours luck did not carry over.
The Tigers were competitive, but still came up short against No. 1 ranked Tennessee by a score of 5-2. LSU got in an early hole giving up three runs in the first two innings, but fought back cutting the deficit to just one in the fifth. Reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year Chase Dollander was tough on the mound for Tennessee, but LSU’s scrappiness at the plate kept the Tigers competitive against the talented right-hander.
Tennessee started to gain control in the bottom of the fifth inning though, as the Volunteers tacked on two runs regaining a three-run lead. The bats were quiet on both sides from that point on though, as no more runs were scored in the game after the fifth inning.
Ty Floyd started for LSU on the mound and had somewhat of a tough outing giving up four earned runs in 4.2 innings. After a shaky start he settled in during the third and fourth innings, before giving up two more runs in the fifth ending his night. He caught some tough breaks on some fielding miscues, but also showed some promise striking out five Tennessee batters.
His development over the last few weeks is promising for LSU at this point in the season. Having another pitcher who can pitch good innings as a starter is massive with regionals right around the corner.
Trent Vietmeier replaced Floyd in the fifth inning and was impressive, pitching 3.1 innings without allowing a single hit. Vietmeier’s efforts were big for LSU as it kept the Tigers from having to use extra arms in the bullpen to save for the rest of the tournament.
“We kind of had a thought to maybe use two or three guys for an inning, but it was sure nice to only have to use [Vietmeier] and having everybody ready to go for the duration of whatever this is going to be,” Head Coach Jay Johnson said.
LSU will now face Kentucky in an elimination game after the conclusion of Alabama vs. Florida at 9:30 a.m. If LSU wins, the Tigers will have a rematch with Tennessee in the nightcap with a spot in the SEC Championship game on the line.
“We’ve got to be ready to go tomorrow,” Johnson said. “The goal is to have tomorrow be the best this team spent together.”
Both games will be streaming live on SEC Network.
