Tennessee baseball tops Loyola Marymount, 8-4

Reggie Southall and Jeff Moberg delivered the go-ahead runs and freshman Garrett Stallings came out of the bullpen to protect a lead Wednesday night as Tennessee beat Loyola Marymount, 8-4, in Los Angeles.

Tennessee (3-1) broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by  Southall, a graduate transfer from Southern Cal, followed by Moberg's two-run double.

Freshman Justin Ammons added an insurance run with an RBI single in the top of the ninth.

Box score: Tennessee at Loyola Marymount

Daniel Vasquez got the win with one inning of scoreless relief. Stallings entered with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh and recorded three strikeouts to preserve the 7-4 lead.

Freshman Zach Linginfelter, a graduate of Sevier County High School, got the start and pitched four innings, leaving with the score tied 4-4.

Jordan Rodgers' sacrifice fly scored Moberg to put UT up 1-0 in the first. The lead grew to 4-0 in the second on a ground-out RBI by Ammons and a two-run single by Rodgers.

Loyola Marymount (2-2) scored three in the second, then tied the game in the fourth on Trevin Esquerra's solo home run. The Vols left runners on base in the fourth and fifth innings but pulled ahead on the RBI hits by Southall and Moberg in the seventh.

Each team had nine hits. Tennessee was charged with three errors, Loyola with six.

Tennessee plays Seton Hall at 4 p.m. EST Friday, then faces San Diego State at 9 p.m. Friday in the Tony Gwynn Classic in San Diego.