A new attendance record was broken Saturday night, with 11,439 fans at Alex Box Stadium to watch Game 2 of the series. The Tigers were on the hunt for a series win but fell short, losing to the Vols.
The last two national champions faced off in one of the loudest regular season environments to date, that rivalry was present all night. After a walk-off homer in the early hours of Saturday morning, the Tigers were on the hunt for a series win against the Vols hours later.
Tension started before the first pitch of the weekend on Friday night with a standoff after the national anthem, which continued on Saturday. Both teams exchanged words several times, including issuing warnings in the sixth.
Game 2 started to resemble the aspects of Game 1, with no scores and a pitcher’s duel that kept heating up. The Tigers had just one hit through the first six innings.
In the top of the fourth, the Vols struck first after starting pitcher Anthony Eyanson got stuck with runners in scoring position, allowing the first two runs of the night.
Tennessee starting pitcher Marcus Philips was right in the zone for 100 pitches, not allowing any runs and only three hits during his six innings pitched, outlasting LSU starter Eyanson.
“We’ve been pretty good and close game, it’s just tonight it just felt like we were hanging on,” Tigers head coach Jay Johnson said. “ It was tough to score as well, so you know tough win but great tendency.”
Eyanson had his off-speed working all night and exited after 5.2 innings and 111 pitches. He allowed just the two runs, struck out eight and walked four.
Once Johnson turned to the bullpen, LSU relievers fought tooth and nail until they couldn’t anymore. Tennessee had runners in scoring position for the fifth, sixth and seventh innings but only paid it off with one run throughout.
Briefly, it seemed LSU was ready to respond. In the bottom of the seventh, Steven Milam hit his ninth homer of the season, immediately matched by Michael Braswell to go back to back. Alex Box exploded, and momentum began to swing the other way, reigniting the chance of a series win. LSU trailed by just a run.
The flood gates opened in the eighth. A hit batter, a single and a walk loaded the bases with one out early. Another hit-by-pitch advanced in a run.
Cooper WIlliams came in for Chase Shores and brought hope of getting out of it with a strikeout on the first batter.
A rocket off the dirt slipped by Jared Jones and drove in two more runs. Thereafter, Tennessee launched a three-run homer, advancing the lead to seven. The control of Shores and Jones missing a defining opportunity ended up putting the game out of reach.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, John Pearson hit a solo homer while pinch hitting for his brother. After another scoreless ninth inning, it wasn’t enough to clinch a series victory against Tennessee, with a final score of LSU 3, Tennessee 9.
Of the Tigers’ four hits, three were home runs. The all-or-nothing offense could not contend with the Vols’ 11 hits. It wasn’t helped by LSU giving seven more free bases than their opponents.
They will take on the Vols again tomorrow in the series’ final game at 2 p.m. CDT.
