Yan Gomes scratched his shaved head and said he couldn't remember the last time he hit a grand slam.

"I don't know, maybe Little League," he said.

The University of Tennessee's sophomore catcher has a new answer now.

Gomes hit a game-winning, sweep-clinching grand slam in the seventh inning to give the surging Vols a dramatic 7-3 victory in the second game of a doubleheader against LSU on Sunday.

Gomes began the day hitting .188 with no home runs and three RBIs.

He finished 5-for-8, with a double, triple, two home runs and nine RBIs as UT took two from the Tigers, winning the opener 7-3.

"When I'm coming up to bat right now, since I've been struggling, I just feel like I've got nothing to lose," Gomes said after UT swept three games from LSU for the first time in history.

"I'm going up there thinking I might as well just be relaxed like I was last year and take hacks. I guess it's coming out good right now."

You could say that.

The Vols (12-4, 3-0 SEC), the same guys picked to finish last in the SEC by league coaches, have won eight in a row and are sitting atop of the East after week one.

Gomes can take a big bow as a major factor.

"This gives everybody (in the SEC) a heads up that we're coming out to play," he said. "We won't back down from anybody."

It didn't look like UT would need any further heroics from Gomes in game two. He already had hit his first career triple in the fourth, scored on a bloop single by Jeff Lockwood, and hit a two-run homer in the fifth to give the Vols a 3-2 lead.

Nick Hernandez had a strong start and reliever Danny Wiltz was pitching lights out until LSU's No. 9 hitter Michael Hollander hit a two-out, game-tying solo home run to right in the seventh.

Even first-year UT coach Todd Raleigh wondered how his young team would react to the sudden swing of emotions.

"Even when we gave up that run with two outs in the second game, it was kind of weird," Raleigh said, "there was absolutely zero panic."

The Vols started the seventh with Danny Lima getting a walk and moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Andy Simunic. LSU (11-6, 0-3) intentionally walked red-hot freshman Kentrail Davis and accidentally walked Cody Brown to load the bases.

Gomes fell behind in the count 1-2, but blasted the game winner to left-center to set off a wild celebration at the plate.

"What can I say about Yan's game," Raleigh said. "He was really locked in this weekend and I saw the focus in his eyes.

"He struggled a little bit early (in the season), but there's a lot to be said for a guy who's down to come back strong."

Game one wasn't as dramatic, but it was just as satisfying for the Vols.

Freshman Bryan Morgado (3-1) went the distance, giving up three runs on five hits and striking out eight. He has 39 strikeouts in four games this season.

Davis, defending SEC freshman of the week, continued his torrid hitting with a two-out, three-run homer to right-center to give UT a 5-2 lead after two innings it never relinquished.

"Bryan wasn't the best he has ever been, but he was still pretty good and kept them in check," Raleigh said. "Kentrail got the big home run. We're very opportunistic. We're not getting 18 hits a game, but it seemed like every time they made a mistake we capitalized."

Notebook: A large contingent of LSU fans made the trip from Baton Rouge and made a lot of noise until Nick Hernandez's dad took up the challenge and started chanting for UT ... Davis didn't just hit, he got hit. The freshman was a ball magnate, getting hit by pitches twice in game one and again in game two ... The Vols play Tuesday at David Lipscomb University in Nashville. Game time is 7 p.m.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.