CWS replay: Tennessee baseball can't solve Paul Skenes in CWS loss to LSU

OMAHA, Neb. − Tennessee baseball is chasing its first College World Series win since 2001.

The Vols (43-20) open against LSU (48-15) on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

It is the sixth College World Series appearance in program history and its second under Tony Vitello. The Vols also reached Omaha in 2021, its first appearance since 2005. UT went 0-2 in both 2005 and 2021.

Its most recent win the CWS was a 10-2 victory against Southern California in 2001.

Tennessee lost a regular-season series at LSU in early April. The Vols reached Omaha by winning the Clemson Regional and the Hattiesburg Super Regional.

Tennessee baseball in College World Series vs. LSU score, live game updates

Ninth inning

Tennessee 9th: Vols need a rally against LSU reliever Riley Cooper.

Zane Denton strikes out. Griffin Merritt flies out. Blake Burke's groundball deflects off the glove of the LSU shortstop. Christian Scott lines out to Cooper to end it.

FINAL: LSU 6, Tennessee 3

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Tennessee baseball tumbles in College World Series opener vs. LSU, Paul Skenes

Eighth inning

LSU 8th: Hollis Fanning in to the game to pitch. Brayden Jobert hits a towering home run to right field to start the LSU 8th. It's his third hit of the game and his third extra-base hit of the day. LSU 6, Tennessee 3.

After Fanning retires the next two batters, A.J. Russell is in to pitch.

Tennessee 8th: Christian Scott doubles to center. First extra-base hit for the Vols, and the first RISP for the Vols today too.

Ahuna singles through the middle, scoring Scott on a 102 mph fastball. LSU 5, Tennessee 1.

Skenes' night is done after 7.2 innings. He'll leave with a runner on 1st and Hunter Ensley coming to the plate.

Ensley hits a 2-run home run to left center on the first pitch against Gavin Guidry. Well then! LSU 5, Tennessee 3.

Jared Dickey originally called out on a groundball to short, but overturned via review. Christian Moore strikes out to end the inning.

Skenes finishes with 2 earned runs off 5 hits and a walk with 12 strikeouts on 123 pitches.

Seventh inning

LSU 7th: Tre Morgan sac fly scores Dylan Crews. LSU 5, Tennessee 0.

Tennessee 7th: Skenes walks Denton with two out but strikes out Merritt to end the inning. He's sitting at 99-100 mph through 7. Up to 102 pitches, so he's likely to return for the 8th. LSU leads 4-0.

Sixth inning

LSU 6th: Brayden Jobert's two-out RBI triple scores Hayden Travinski. On the next AB, a Jordan Thompson RBI single that Maui Ahuna can't field off a one-hop scores Jobert.

LSU 4, Tennessee 0.

Kirby Connell enters the game to pitch, and he'll get the final out of the inning via a groundout.

Tennessee 6th: A 7-pitch inning for Skenes. Vols retired in order.

Fifth inning

LSU 5th: Seth Halvorsen in to pitch for Tennessee.

Halvorsen retires the top of the LSU lineup in order.

Tennessee 5th: Griffin Merritt singles through the right side, but nothing else in the UT 5th. 9 Ks through 5 for Skenes on 76 pitches.

Fourth inning

LSU 4th: Andrew Lindsey is done after 3.2 innings. LSU has two RISP and two out. Aaron Combs to pitch to No. 9 hitter Josh Pearson.

Combs gets Pearson to strike out swinging.

Tennessee 4th: Hunter Ensley singles, but is later thrown out caught stealing at second base to end the inning.

Ensley is 2-2, while the rest of the Vols lineup is 0-11.

Third inning

LSU 3rd: Josh Pearson and Dylan Crews start the inning with singles. A Tre Morgan groundball deflects off of Lindsey's glove and will score a run. Lindsey gets another groundball out to end the inning.

LSU 2, Tennessee 0. Vols lineup needs to show some life against Skenes.

Tennessee 3rd: A popup is sandwiched by two strikeouts. Skenes looks the part so far.

Second inning

LSU 2nd: Gavin Dugas hits one to Des Moines. LSU 1, Tennessee 0.

Tennessee 2nd: Skenes strikes out the side. He's up to 33 pitches and five strikeouts.

First inning

LSU 1st: Andrew Lindsey is the Tennessee starting pitcher.

A Paul Skenes fastball at 102 mph is something to watch. So is Andrew Lindsey's 95 mph sinker, and it got a swinging strikeout from Tommy White.

Tre Morgan's single with two out is all for the Tigers in the first inning. Scoreless.

Tennessee 1st: The Vols get Paul Skenes for a second time this year. Almost ready for first pitch in Omaha.

A Hunter Ensley infield single on a hard-hit groundball to short is all for the Vols in the first. Jared Dickey had a well-hit lineout to third, but the Vols get nothing in the first inning.

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Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee-LSU baseball score in College World Series: Live updates