Vols win two, complete series sweep
utsports.com
Yan Gomes is now hitting .275 on the season.
published: March 16 2008 08:27 PM updated:: March 28 2008 02:34 PM

The Tennessee Volunteers completed a three-game sweep of LSU with a pair of 7-3 victories in a doubleheader on Sunday. The Vols now have nine straight victories and were one of three SEC teams to pick up a sweep during the first weekend of conference play.

"It's all coming together now," said Tennessee centerfielder Kentrail Davis. "As a team we're connecting and starting to win."

Game one starter Bryan Morgado and closer Jeff Lockwood picked up wins for the Vols on the day.

Yan Gomes led the way offensively for the Vols by going 5-for-8 with two home runs and nine RBIs during the two games. Gomes had been hitting just .188 with no homers and three RBIs prior to Sunday.

"He seemed to play a lot harder," head coach Todd Raleigh said of his catcher's performance. "He was really locked in this weekend."

Tennessee now takes to the road for five straight games. The Vols travel to Lipscomb and Louisville for midweek contests before a weekend series at Georgia. The Bulldogs began SEC play with a series win over Arkansas this weekend.

Game One

Davis hit a three-run home run and scored two more runs and Gomes also drove in three runs to lead the Vols to a series clinching 7-3 victory in game one. Morgado gave up three runs (two earned) and struck out eight Tigers in seven innings to pick up his third win of the season.

The Vols took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the first on a two-run double by Gomes. Davis and Cody Brown scored on the play to give Tennessee a 2-1 lead.

LSU's Matt Clark hit his second solo home run of the series to even the score in the top of the second before Davis hit his second home run of the season in the bottom of the inning to put the Vols ahead 5-2.

The Tigers pulled a run back in the top of the third. However, Morgado kept LSU off the board the rest for the rest of the game, and the Vols tacked on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pick up the 7-3 win.

Game Two

Gomes hit a walk-off grand slam to give the Vols another 7-3 win in the second game of the doubleheader. The homer was the second of the game for Gomes and gave the sophomore six RBIs in the game.

The score was tied at zero until the top of the fourth inning when the Tigers took a 2-0 lead. Starting pitcher Nick Hernandez was pulled from the game and replaced by Danny Wiltz following the second run.

Tennessee cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Lockwood. Gomes came in to score on the hit after tripling to deep center field to lead off the inning.

Gomes provided his fourth and fifth RBIs of the day on a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to give the Vols their first lead of game two. The long ball was the catcher's first homer of the season.

Michael Hollander hit a two-out solo home run off Wiltz to tie the score at three in the top of the seventh. Lockwood replaced Wiltz following the homer, which was the only hit given up by the junior in his three innings pitched.

Lockwood retired the only batter he faced to set the stage for the walk-off shot by Gomes.

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