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Tony Vitello moves Dean Curley to DH for No. 6 Tennessee at No. 5 LSU Saturday night

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•04/26/25•

GrantRamey

Dean Curley. Credit: Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Dean Curley. Credit: Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dean Curley was moved to the designated hitter spot in the Tennessee’s lineup for Saturday night’s game at LSU. Curley made two errors in the top of the ninth Friday night that helped the Tigers rally for a 6-3 win at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.

Manny Marin replaced Curley at third base, with Curley leading off. Jay Abernathy was the designated hitter Friday night, before giving way to Levi Clark. 

The Vols (34-8, 12-7 SEC) and LSU (35-8, 13-6) are scheduled for an 8 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPNU in the second game of the weekend series. The finale is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET Sunday afternoon on SEC Network. 

Curley batting leadoff as Tennessee’s DH for Game 2 at LSU

Gavin Kilen is second in the lineup, ahead of Andrew Fischer, Hunter Ensley, Reese Chapman, Dalton Bargo, Cannon Peebles, Marin and Ariel Antigua. Marcus Phillips gets the start on the mound for Tennessee.

Bargo threw high to first base on a chopper on the infield for his first error Friday night, with Tennessee lead 3-0. The second error was a ground ball that bounced off Bargo’s chest, allowing another runner to reach. 

“We gave a couple free bases,” Tony Vitello said during his postgame press conference. “There was one play down the line the start of the inning that was a chopper. I don’t know if we would have been able to make a play regardless. I don’t know what they ruled it. 

“Guy just finds a way to get on base, we give them a couple more free bases and then you’re one strike away and couldn’t get it done. In between there, they call on a guy that is a two-way guy and he did what he needed to do — smoke the ball up the middle. But free bases in that inning is not a good idea.”

‘There’s always physical parts to it but just mental’

Dalton Beck had a two-run single to get LSU on the board and get the Tigers back within one run. Derek Curiel tied the game on a single through the right side. Jared Jones then hit a towering three-run, walk-off home run over the batters eye in center field to give LSU the improbable win.  

Nate Snead took the loss after LSU scored the six runs — all unearned — in the ninth inning. Liam Doyle started and gave up just one hit with six strikeouts and three walks over 6.2 innings. 

Vitello after the game described Curley’s errors as “just mental.”

“There’s always physical parts to it but just mental,” he said. “Like I said, I don’t know if anybody for either team gets the guy on the first play but I’m sure because the throw was high, maybe they could, I don’t know. You start thinking about it.”

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