Arkansas downs LSU, advances to SEC Tournament semifinals
The No. 5 LSU Tigers began walking back to the dugout after Arkansas designated hitter Kendall Diggs popped out to shortstop to seemingly end the bottom of the fourth inning.
What seemed like relief pitcher Riley Cooper escaping a bases loaded, no outs situation resulted in a catcher's interference, Diggs going to first base and Arkansas taking a 3-2 lead.
Two pitches later, Jace Bohrofen snuck a two-run single through the right side to break it open and put the No. 4 Diamond Hogs ahead by three, which proved to be enough in a 5-4 win over the Tigers on Thursday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
After taking over for lefty starter Hagen Smith — who tied his career-high with nine strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings of work — left-hander Hunter Hollan provided 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball and he added eight strikeouts of his own.
"That was my first time coming out of the bullpen since probably junior year of high school, so it wasn't really any different," Hollan said. "You've just got to come in with the mindset that I'm going to compete in the zone and go with the game plan that you want."
We had a really good game plan the first time we played them and we kind of stuck to that, and it worked out.
In a highly-anticipated matchup between Smith and SEC Pitcher of the Year Paul Skenes, the latter gave up five runs on four hits, walked two, struck out just three in 3 2/3 innings and he was given his second loss of the season.
"We just tried to get on that heater," second baseman Peyton Holt said. "It's a really good pitch, and I think we did a good job of that, kind of put in a keyhole, not chase anything outside the zone."
Just two of Arkansas' five runs — all of which came in the bottom of the fourth — were earned, but the Razorbacks did capitalize at the plate by going 4-of-16 with runners on and 3-of-6 with runners in scoring position.
After striking the first two batters he faced in the top of the first, Smith allowed three straight singles — the second of which came due to a bad read in right field by Jace Bohrofen. The next at bat resulted in a Tre' Morgan RBI single, but Smith struck out the next batter to strand a pair after giving up just the lone run.
The second inning started similar as Smith fanned the first two batters, but it ended differently as the third batter — Alex Milazzo — grounded out to third for Smith's first non-strikeout of the game.
Following scoreless second and third innings, Smith ran into trouble with two outs in the top of the fourth. He issued a walk to Gavin Dugas to load the bases and he was pulled for lefty Hunter Hollan with his pitch count at 76, which was right around where head coach Dave Van Horn mentioned Smith would max out at on pregame radio.
Hollan threw a wild pitch on a 1-2 count against Milazzo that scored LSU's second run, but he struck out Milazzo on the next pitch to get out of trouble.
Arkansas finally got on the board via a Caleb Cali RBI single off Skenes that scored Jared Wegner in the bottom of the fourth. The Hogs tied things up courtesy of an RBI single from Peyton Holt and Skenes' day was done after facing three more batters.
The Tigers turned to lefty Riley Cooper with bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth. When it looked like Cooper escaped trouble with a Diggs pop out to short, it was actually catcher's interference, which resulted in Arkansas' third run.
"He hit his glove when he swung," Van Horn said. "The amazing was he hit his glove. We heard it. We saw it. And the ball still made it to the outfield. If he hadn't hit his glove, he might have hit it over his head, the way we look at it."
Jace Bohrofen took advantage of the LSU miscue in the next at bat by sneaking a two-run single through the right side to put the Diamond Hogs ahead 5-2.
Hollan ran into trouble by giving up a pair of singles to start the top of the sixth. Jordan Thompson then reached on a fielder's choice that ended up being a 6-4-5 double play as Holt caught Hayden Travinski rounding past third and a fly out two pitches later ended the frame.
Cooper and Hollan dueled with three straight scoreless frames each across the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. LSU threatened in the top of the eighth, but managed to plate just one run on an RBI single from Thompson that made the Razorbacks' lead 5-3.
The LSU lefty racked up his sixth and seventh strikeouts in the bottom of the eighth to send the game to the top of the ninth with the Tigers down 5-3.
SEC Player of the Year Dylan Crews' first hit of the game was a solo shot to left in the top of the ninth inning that made it a 5-4 ballgame. Following a mound visit from pitching coach Matt Hobbs, Hollan retired the next two batters to close the game out.
"The story was our two pitchers," Van Horn said. "I thought they did a great job. Between the two of them, we didn't have to field a lot of balls. I think we struck out 17, 18 guys, somewhere in there, and we fielded all the other ones. Just a really good team win, and get an opportunity to rest a little bit tomorrow."
Up next, the Razorbacks will have to wait and see who their opponent will be in the semifinal round on Saturday. Arkansas will play the winner of LSU and 10-seed Texas A&M — who will meet at 3 p.m. CT Friday — at noon CT Saturday at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama.
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