LSU junior second baseman Ryan Schimpf stood on the top step of the Tigers dugout as a group of reporters huddled around him.Schimpf has gotten used to speaking to reporters following games this season as the Covington native is LSU’s leader in home runs with 10 and is second on the team with 38 RBI.But on Saturday with the Tigers leading 5-4, LSU’s second baseman was the story of the game in a different way as Schimpf booted a ground ball hit by Tennessee first baseman Cody Hawn with the bases loaded, allowing two Volunteers to score and sealing a 7-5 Tennessee win.”It was a routine ball and I missed it,” Schimpf said. “I take full responsibility for everything that happened today.” The error was one of two made by Schimpf on Saturday and one of five committed by LSU for the game. LSU coach Paul Mainieri said Saturday’s outcome leaves a sour taste in his mouth because of how hard Schimpf works throughout the season to help the Tigers.”He’s the hardest working player not only here, but maybe in the history of my coaching,” Mainieri said. “Nobody cares more about this team than he does and I just feel so bad for him, because I know he’s blaming himself right now.” The shaky defense spoiled what was a solid outing by Coleman who pitched seven and a third innings and allowed six runs — only three earned runs — and struck out 11 hitters while throwing 121 pitches. “It’s frustrating, but that’s baseball,” Coleman said. “It sucks that you’ve got to come out here and have those kinds of days, but there’s going to be days where we’re going to make errors.”The Volunteers threatened in the top of the first inning off Coleman and had runners on first and second base with just one out. But Coleman struck out the side to cool the Tennessee scoring threat.After a pair of scoreless innings, LSU junior designated hitter Blake Dean and junior first baseman Sean Ochinko got the Tigers on the scoreboard in a two-run third inning.Dean started the scoring with an RBI double that scored junior second baseman Ryan Schimpf who walked in the inning.Ochinko plated Dean with a single to left centerfield to put the Tigers up 2-0. But the lead only lasted a half-inning as the Vols struck for two of their own off Coleman in the fourth inning. Third baseman Tyler Horne plated a runner on an RBI triple to pull the Volunteers within a run.Two batters later, catcher Blake Forsythe scored Horne on an infield single to tie the game. Forsythe’s single was one of several bloop hits the Volunteers had for the game that were nearly fielded by the Tigers.”It was one thing to have the five errors,” Mainieri said. “But I can think of at least two or three other plays that were not ruled errors that should have been made.” LSU scored two of their own in the bottom half to retake a two-run lead.   Schimpf and Dean each had RBI singles to spark the rally. Tennessee again struck back in the following frames and scored a fifth inning run on an RBI single by Cody Hawn to make the game 4-3. The Volunteers added a run to tie the game in the sixth inning on a fielder’s choice RBI ground out by Zach Osborne.LSU took the lead again in the bottom of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by sophomore catcher Micah Gibbs of Tennessee pitcher relief Danny Wiltz. But LSU again was unable to hold the lead as the Volunteers scored two in the eighth on Schimpf’s error and scored one more in the ninth inning on a home run by second baseman Cody Grisham to seal the win. —–Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]