For eight innings, Tennessee had played nearly flawless defense.

Errors had plagued the No. 6 Vols in recent SEC series, but late into Friday night and early into Saturday morning after a more than three-hour weather delay pushed back their top 10 series at No. 7 LSU, Tennessee had seemingly reversed course at Alex Box Stadium.

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Liam Doyle was masterful on the mound. Ariel Antigua had made a couple put-outs from shortstop to get the Vols out of innings. Heading into the ninth, the Tigers were scoreless, had just three hits and were three outs away from a series-opening loss on their home turf.

Then Tennessee unraveled. Dean Curley committed a throwing error at third base, and then a fielding error. LSU scored three runs to tie it, then walked it off on a Jared Jones' three-run home run to hand the Vols a crushing, 6-3 defeat.

For more than seven innings, Doyle and Tigers' starter Kade Anderson were the headliners in a pitchers duel. Anderson cracked first in the sixth and then again in the eighth.

Tennessee (33-8, 12-7 SEC) added some insurance in the ninth, but it hardly mattered after Jones' sent a Nate Snead pitch high and over the wall in center field.

Snead (3-1), the closer, took his first loss of the season and the climax overshadowed Doyle's outing after he allowed just on hit and struck out six in 6.2 scoreless innings.

First baseman Andrew Fischer led the Vols at the plate, going 2-of-4 with an RBI, while second baseman Gavin Kilen was 2-of-5 and center fielder Hunter Ensley was 1-of-5 with an RBI each.

Ethan Frey kick-started the LSU (35-7, 13-6) rally in the ninth. Dalton Beck and Derek Curiel combined to drive in three runs to set up Jones.

Anderson gave up six hits and two runs, but struck out 11 in 7.1 innings of work.

Jay Abernathy walked in just four pitches, and Tennessee was threatening early.

A few at-bats before, Dalton Bargo and Ariel Antigua had singled into right field to put two on with two outs in the second inning. Abernathy, at the bottom of the Vols' order, had loaded the bases with his walk, putting pressure on LSU starting pitcher Kade Anderson.

Dean Curley was up next with a chance to take advantage at the top of the order, but he swung at the second pitch he saw and the ball harmlessly grounded into the glove of Steve Milam at short, who flipped it over to second to leave Tennessee empty-handed.

The Vols might have come away scoreless, but Liam Doyle continued to ensure that the Tigers did too, setting them down in order with a quick 1-2-3 frame that was aided by an tough put-out by Antigua at from short in the bottom second.

Anderson returned the favor in the third, making quick work of Tennessee's lineup with back-to-back strikeouts and foul out.

After retiring nine-straight batters, Doyle gave up a walk to lead off the bottom fourth. His fifth strikeout followed, then two foul outs stranded the runner, including one from Antigua, who lost his footing on the turf but made the catch on his back to strand the runner at first.

Anderson retired his 10th-straight batter in the fifth and got out of the inning in just 10 pitches. But LSU was having as many fits with Doyle, who had still held the Tigers hitless through six following his sixth strikeout.

For the first time four innings, Gavin Kilen made Anderson look human with a single to left to begin the sixth--the Vols' third hit and the first since the second inning. He moved into scoring position at second off of a wild pitch, then Andrew Fischer singled up the middle to score Kilen, end the stalemate and give Tennessee a 1-0 lead.

The Vols were unable to add more after Bargo grounded into a 4-5-3 double play that got LSU out of the inning with just the one run given up.

Doyle got two quick outs in the bottom sixth, but gave up his first hit--a Jared Jones single to center to breakup the no-hitter. Daniel Dickinson gave Alex Box Stadium a jolt for a moment when he made contact on a 2-2 pitch from Doyle that drifted toward the wall in center, but it was caught by Hunter Ensley and Tennessee's lead remained.

The Vols again appeared to have something going in the seventh after Cannon Peebles singled to the corner in left and Levi Clark, pinch-hitting for Abernathy, walked to put two on. But Curley grounded to third and a fielder's choice left Tennessee without any insurance.

Doyle's night ended in the bottom seventh. After two fly outs, a walk to give the Tigers a runner, Tanner Franklin took over out of the bullpen, but gave up a hit to give LSU its first runner in scoring position.

The inning was extended, only by controversy after Vols coach Tony Vitello made his way out to the mound to talk to Franklin for the second time in the frame. A lengthy discussion followed between the umpire crew and Tigers coach Jay Johnson.

When the confusion had settled, Ashton Larson flied out to left and Tennessee was still clinging to its lead heading into the eighth.

It was LSU's turn to make a pitching change in the bottom eighth. Fischer doubled to right with one out, signaling the end of Anderson's outing. Zac Cowan entered, but a wild pitch allowed Fischer to reach third safely and Ensley drove him in with an RBI single to right that stretched the Vols' lead to 2-0.

Reese Chapman then knocked a two-out single to left, but Tennessee stranded both runners.

Nate Snead pitched the eighth for the Vols. He gave up a single--just the Tigers' third hit of the night--but a strikeout and fielder's choice got Tennessee through the eighth with its two run advantage.

Kilen provided some much-needed insurance in the ninth, doubling to left-center to score Brayden Sharp and swell the Vols' lead to 3-0.

The insurance wasn't enough. A throwing error from Curley at third allowed Ethan Frey to reach and his fielding error one out later put two on for LSU.

Dalton Beck scored the Tigers' first twos runs on a single to center, and Derek Curiel followed it up with an RBI single through the right side to draw LSU even at 3-3.

The Tigers had the winning run in scoring position, but Jared Jones' three-run shot to center put the finishing touches on the LSU rally.

Tennessee and LSU will play Game 2 of the series on Saturday night.

First pitch between the Vols and Tigers at Alex Box Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Tennessee will start right-handed pitcher Marcus Phillips (2-3, 2.96 ERA), while LSU is slated to start left-hander Anthony Eyanson (6-1, 3.52).

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