The LSU baseball team ended its eight-game losing streak in Knoxville in grand fashion on Friday night in front of a record crowd of 7,195 fans at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Derek Curiel hit an opposite-field grand slam in the eighth inning as the Tigers rallied once again to win their fourth straight by beating SEC rival Tennessee 7-5.
How it happened: Tennessee starting pitcher Landon Mack kept LSU’s bats quiet for seven innings. Mack, who LSU recruited after he entered the transfer portal following a standout freshman season at Rutgers, struck out ten hitters, and his only mistake was a solo home run to Jake Brown.
The game fell apart when Tennessee brought in 6-foot-5 left-hander Brandon Arvidson into the game. He had seven walks in 20.1 innings this season, but started the 8th inning by walking the first three hitters with the Volunteers leading 4-1.
With the bases loaded, Arvidson got Brown to line out to the shortstop.
Arvidson was then replaced by Bo Rhudy, who had yet to allow a run in four appearances in SEC games.
Rhudy struck out Omar Serna, but found out why Curiel is one of the best players in the country.
The Tigers centerfielder hit a towering drive over the left field wall for a grand slam, giving LSU a 5-4 lead.
Curiel, who usually doesn’t show many emotions, was very animated as he rounded the bases and was seen in the dugout, pounding his chest and firing up his teammates.
Seth Dardar must have heard Curiel screaming in the dugout, because he followed Curiel’s grand slam with a solo home run.
LSU would tack on an insurance run when Chris Stanfield hit a solo home run over the left field wall.
Grand Slams: This is the first time LSU has hit grand slams in three consecutive games since 1998. Curiel is the first LSU Tiger to hit grand slams in back-to-back games since Sean Ochinko in 2009.
LSU strikes out 14: Casan Evans allowed three runs in 5.2 innings as he kept the Tigers within striking distance. Evans allowed two home runs, but he only walked two.
Daniel Lachenmayer had a big strikeout with a runner on second base to get out of the sixth inning.
Mavrick Rizy walked two of the five hitters he faced and allowed a run. Left-hander Santiago came in with the bases loaded and walked in a run. But he struck out one of Tennessee’s best hitters, Reese Chapman, to keep the deficit at three runs.
Deven Sheerin got the save as he allowed one run over two innings and also had a big strikeout to end the 8th inning with runners on first and second.
What it means: LSU is feeling it, having won four in a row. In the last three victories, the Tigers have rallied from multiple-run deficits. It was LSU’s first win in Knoxville as the Tigers improved to 5-5 in SEC play.
Crushing loss for Tennessee. They were just swept by Vanderbilt, and in the final game of the series, the Commodores walked the Vols off with a grand slam. Tennessee is now 3-10.
Game 2: Saturday at 5 PM.
- LSU – So. RH William Schmidt 4-1, 2.55 ERA
- Tenn – So. RH Tegan Kuhns 1-3 4.08 ERA
