LSU baseball fought its way to the Super Regional by winning four straight elimination games, but that magic didn't stick around for the opener against Tennessee on Saturday night.
Tigers batters struck out 16 times and fell 4-2 in Knoxville to set up at least one more elimination game, against against Tennessee, Sunday afternoon.
"We've been here before ... and that's when we started playing our best baseball," LSU junior Drew Bianco said after the game.
LSU was in control through five innings, with Ma'Khail Hilliard locking down the Tennessee lineup for just three hits and a run while striking out 6. That performance sandwiched a 45-minute rain delay after the second inning and shortly after Cade Doughty opened the game's scoring with an opposite field home run off Tennessee starter Chad Dallas in the second inning.
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The game was paused immediately after that home run as the grounds crew worked to dry off the mound, and Dallas worked out of the inning without further damage. When play returned, so did Dallas' control. He struck out a career-high 12 LSU batters over six innings of work and earning the win.
But despite limited success against Dallas or Vols closer Sean Hunley, the Tigers snatched a 2-1 lead due to Drew Bianco's pesky baserunning. With two runners on and no outs in the 5th inning, Bianco stole third and eventually scored when the throw from Tennessee catcher Connor Pavolony's throw bounced into left field.
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Dallas and Hunley combined to shut LSU down the rest of the way, while his offense put down three runs in the 6th inning against LSU freshman Javen Coleman. The left-hander walked three, and a misplayed ball to Doughty helped extend the inning. The Volunteers loaded the bases twice before Coleman struck out Pavolony to end the inning.
Mainieri stuck by his decision to pull Hilliard after 5 innings due to his faith in Coleman after his six-inning, shutdown performance against Oregon a week earlier.
"Last weekend we went to Javen pretty early and he pretty much dominated the game," Mainieri said. "I was happy to get 5 innings out of Ma'Khail, he was outstanding."
The freshman remained in the game and held the Vols scoreless in the 7th and 8th. LSU's offense put the leadoff runners on in each of the 8th and 9th innings. Dylan Crews led off with a single up the middle, but the inning ended with a Tre Morgan strikeout and Crews getting tagged out as he slip past second base on the steal attempt.
Gavin Dugas, a hero from the Eugene regional, led off the ninth inning with a single, and Doughty came feet from a second home run of the night that was caught harmlessly for the inning's first out. Bianco reached on an infield single, and the pair moved to 2nd and 3rd on a Cade Beloso groundout. But despite working back to a full count after going down 0-2, freshman shortstop Jordan Matthews struck out to end the game and set up yet another elimination contest for LSU on Saturday afternoon.
Tigers ace Landon Marceaux will go in Game 2, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
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