University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
LSU
NO. 21 LSU DOWNS TENNESSEE 12-2 IN SERIES-OPENER
April 07, 2006 | Baseball
April 7, 2006
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee baseball team dropped its series-opener to 21st-ranked LSU by a score of 12-2 Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The 24th-ranked Volunteers received three hits from senior first baseman Chris Kemp, but two home runs by Tigers slugger Quinn Stewart were more than enough to hand the Vols their third straight loss.
Tennessee fell to 18-12 (2-7 SEC) with the setback. Kemp now has seven hits through the last three games, including three home runs and three doubles.
Freshman LSU pitcher Louis Coleman improved to 3-2 on the year after holding the Vols in check through eight innings. The right-hander gave up two runs (one earned) on eight hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts. Tigers reliever Jonathan Wilhite then came on and worked a perfect final frame.
LSU left fielder Bruce Sprowl laid down a sacrifice bunt to move a pair of runners into scoring position in the top of the third inning, and both were driven in by a Jarred Bogany double to right field. An RBI single by catcher Matt Liuzza later plated Bogany, and back-to-back walks brought in another runner to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.
Another base on balls for LSU (22-10, 3-7 SEC) in the top of the fifth proved costly for the Vols, as Tigers shortstop Michael Hollander laced an RBI triple down the right-field line. Liuzza scored all the way from first base on the play after drawing the free pass. LSU third baseman Will Harris followed up Hollander's triple with an RBI basehit that stretched the Tigers' lead to 6-0.
Sprowl led off the sixth with a basehit, and Bogany reached on an infield error. Stewart dug in two batters later and slapped his SEC-leading 13th home run of the season, giving his club a comfortable nine-run advantage.
The Vols finally scratched their first run of the night in the bottom of the sixth, as freshman right fielder Ryan Jones plated Kemp with an RBI single. Kemp had previously reached on his second double of the night and his third hit in as many plate appearances.
A bases-loaded groundout by UT catcher J.P. Arencibia plated left fielder Jarred Frazier in the bottom of the seventh, making the score 9-2 in favor of LSU.
Tennessee starting pitcher James Adkins left the game after seven innings. The sophomore took the loss to fall to 4-4 on the year after allowing nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits with five walks and five strikeouts.
Adkins gave way to freshman right-hander Aaron Everett, who was making his fourth career appearance and his debut in SEC play. The Loudon, Tenn., native tossed a perfect eighth inning, but Stewart connected on a solo homer to left field to lead off the ninth.
Everett finished with two strikeouts, one walk and three earned runs on three hits through two full innings of action.
The series resumes Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Tennessee is sending junior right-hander Craig Cobb (5-1, 3.09 ERA) to the mound, and LSU is expected to start left-handed junior Clay Dirks (3-3, 4.03 ERA). The game will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Net South.
