LSU, which has played only two games since arriving in Hoover, Ala., way back last Sunday, will have to win two today to stay alive in the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.

The nation’s No. 1 team Tennessee sent the Tigers into the tournament loser’s bracket with a 5-2 win over LSU in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

LSU (38-19) will be back at it today at approximately 1 p.m. in an elimination game against Kentucky, a team the Tigers beat 11-6 Thursday.

The winner of that game will advance to meet Tennessee in another late game Saturday night with a trip to Sunday’s championship game on the line.

The Wildcats (32-25) eliminated Vanderbilt 10-2 in an earlier game Friday.

The Vols got to LSU early with a pair of runs in the first inning and another in the second for a 3-0 lead.

Jordan Beck drove in the first Vols’ run with a triple off the right field wall, then scored himself on a wild pitch by LSU starter Ty Floyd (5-4).

Beck drew a bases loaded walk in the second to put Tennessee up 3-0.

Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander, the SEC pitcher of the year, struck out nine Tigers in 6.2 innings of work while holding LSU to a pair of runs in the fifth inning that cut the Vols’ lead to 3-2.

Tennessee answered with two more in the bottom of the fifth.

LSU got on the board in the fifth when Drew Bianco singled, stole second and scored on Dylan Crews’ double. Crews then scored when Josh Pearson reached on a throwing error.

Floyd lasted 5.2 innings while giving up six hits and walking three with five strike outs.

Trent Vietmieir was perfect out of the LSU, retiring all 10 batters he faced in 3.1 innings with three strike outs.