Tennessee scored two runs on four hits in the top of the first inning, then combined for three hits over the next eight innings against LSU on Sunday.

After forcing a rubber match with the No. 7 Tigers late Saturday, the No. 6 Vols' pitching staff gave up 12 hits, including three home runs in a 12-2 run-rule loss in eight innings in Game 3 at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.

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Tennessee (35-9, 13-8 SEC) has lost two-straight series and three of its last four in league play.

The Vols went through eight arms, including A.J. Russell, who made his first start in an SEC game this season. Michael Sharman (2-1) took the loss after the Tigers (36-9, 14-7) took the lead for good against him in the second.

Left-fielder Derek Cruiel gave Tennessee pitching fits all afternoon, going 4-of-4 at the plate with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Right-fielder Jake Brown and third baseman Michael Braswell III homered in the second and seventh, respectively.

Center-fielder Hunter Ensley and third baseman Dalton Bargo had an RBI each, while first baseman Andrew Fischer was 2-of-4 with a double.

Sunday's start was a stark contrast to the previous two games in the series.

Where pitching dominated early in Game 1 and 2, both teams got off to productive starts at the plate in Game 3.

For Tennessee, it started with Dean Curley, who singled to the gap in right-center field in the top of the first. Two at-bats later, Andrew Fischer singled to put two on, and Hunter Ensley paid it off with a fly out to right to score Curley and put the Vols up, 1-0.

Dalton Bargo doubled to left to push Fischer across and give Tennessee a 2-0 advantage early.

LSU answered in the first off of a Derek Curiel home run to lead off the bottom first and trim the Vols' lead to 2-1. Jared Jones followed it up with a single to left and Daniel Dickinson drew a walk to put two on with one out.

A.J. Russell recovered, though and got out of the inning with just the one run allowed after stranding a pair of runners.

After Tennessee went down in order in the second, Luis Hernandez tripled to left-center to give the Tigers a runner in scoring position with just one out. Russell managed a strikeout, but his outing ended when Michael Sharman took over with two outs and a runner on third.

Curiel burned the Vols again, this time with a double to left that scored Hernandez and drew LSU even at 2-2.

That was enough for Sharman to be pulled and Tegan Kuhns was called out of the bullpen with two on and two outs after Jones was intentionally walked.

The inning continued to unravel for Tennessee when Jake Brown mashed a three-run home run to put the Tigers up, 5-2.

Looking for some momentum in the third, Ensley hit a two-out double to the corner in left, but the Vols had nothing to show for it after Reese Chapman struck out swinging.

Kuhns made quick work of LSU in the third, but Curiel's prolific afternoon continued with a an RBI single through the left side to score Chris Stanfield, who had led the bottom fourth off with a triple and stretch the Tigers' lead to 6-2.

Following a Jones' double to left, Kuhns' day was done and Brandon Arvidson entered with two runners in scoring position and no outs. LSU ended up loading the bases, but Arvidson got out of the jam with a ground out to Ariel Antigua at short.

Tennessee was unable to take advantage of a one-out single from Curley in the fifth, and back-to-back walks to start the bottom half led to another pitching chance for the Vols with Tanner Franklin replacing Arvidson.

Franklin's second pitch to Curiel ended up in right-center for a two-RBI double to up the Tigers' lead to 8-2.

Michael Braswell III added to the LSU lead in the bottom seventh with a lead-off home run to left-center that put the Tigers ahead, 9-2.

Fischer recorded Tennessee's first hit in three innings with a two-out double off of the wall, but the Vols came up empty-handed.

Braswell reached on a fielder's choice in the bottom eighth that scored Dickinson, then Hernandez walked it off with a two-RBI double off the top of the wall in left.

Tennessee will face Northern Kentucky in a midweek tilt on Tuesday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Vols and Norse, who last played in the Knoxville Regional during Tennessee's College World Series title run in 2024, are slated for a 6 p.m. ET (SEC Network+) first pitch.

The Vols are set to host No. 11 Auburn in a top-15 series next weekend.

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