Jordan Thompson and Paul Skenes lead LSU to a win in Game 1 vs. Tennessee
The most anticipated series of the season has begun on the Bayou. The LSU Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers went toe-to-toe in front of a sold-out crowd at Alex Box Stadium, and coach Jay Johnson’s team survived in a 5-2 win to start the series the right way.
The pitching matchup for night one could not have been better. Two of the best pitchers in the country, Paul Skenes and Chase Dollander, took part in a pitcher’s duel that mirrored a high noon showdown between outlaws.
LSU threatened in the first two innings but couldn’t plate any runs. In the top of the fifth, Tennessee drew first blood on an RBI single to give itself a 1-0 lead.
LSU got that run back and added one as Gavin Dugas hit a two-run bomb to score Jordan Thompson and give LSU a 2-1 lead after five innings. The biggest crowd in Alex Box Stadium history might have registered on the Richter scale when the ball left the stadium.
GAVIN GIVES THE TIGERS THE LEAD@gavin_dugas04 | ESPNU pic.twitter.com/qrArzvLOLJ
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) March 31, 2023
Skenes’ night was done after he pitched seven innings as he gave up only one run on five hits, one walk and 12 strikeouts. He extended his streak of double-digit strikeout games to seven as well. Nate Ackenhausen came in to pitch the eighth inning for the Tigers.
After getting the first batter to fly out, the next hitter singled up the middle and then advanced all the way to third after two wild pitches. That chased Ackenhausen from the game as Garrett Edwards came in facing a full count with a runner on third and one out.
Tennessee tied the game on the next pitch as they scored on an RBI single to make it 2-2. Edwards got the next two hitters out and we headed to the bottom of the eighth tied 2-2.
In the bottom of the eighth, after Dylan Crews and Tommy White got out, Cade Beloso reached on an error, Paxton Kling hit an infield single, Josh Pearson was hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded. Thompson stepped into the batter’s box and proceeded to clear the bases with a three-RBI double to give LSU a 5-2 lead after eight innings!
JORDY CLEARS THE BASES WITH A DOUBLE@J_thompson_13 | ESPNU pic.twitter.com/4f8QmBCLWF
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) March 31, 2023
Edwards stayed on the mound to pitch the ninth inning to try and close the game with a win. He got the first batter to fly out but the next two batters reached base. One was due to an error and the other was a single. That put runners on the corners with one out. The tying run then came to the plate. Edwards struck out the next batter for out number two. The next batter flew out to center field and the Tigers won 5-2!
It was the first win for LSU over Tennessee since 2018 and that win moved LSU to 23-3 (its best start since 2015). Game 2 will be Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
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