Scoring Recap: No. 1 Arkansas 7, No. 8 LSU 4 (Game 1)

FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks (20-3, 5-1 SEC) are just about set for a top-10 showdown against the No. 8 LSU Tigers (20-6, 2-4 SEC) on Thursday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Arkansas is coming off an 11-0 run rule victory over Little Rock on Tuesday, and the Hogs have won their first two series in conference play against Missouri and Auburn.

LSU is the defending national champion led by third-year head coach Jay Johnson, who has put together another squad that's loaded from top-to-bottom, but they've started conference play by losing back-to-back series against Mississippi State and Florida.

"It's still early in the season," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said Wednesday. "Even though most teams have played around 25 games there’s still 60% of the games left and teams are just starting to heat up and figure it out and get those pitching rotations right or how they want to handle things.

"I think they’re really talented. I mean, you look at the talent on that team and it’s as good as anybody in the country. And they know that, we know that, and everybody that plays them knows that. Really, obviously our focus is just do what we can do and do it well. Control what we can control. But they’re awfully good."

While Arkansas won two of the four games it played against the Tigers in 2023, the Razorbacks are even more well-equipped to go toe-to-toe with LSU this season. Junior left-hander Hagen Smith, who will start Thursday, and his 62 strikeouts have played a big factor in the Hogs' success.

RELATED: Arkansas makes slight change to starting rotation

"On Hagen, I guess what we expect is him to go out and compete like he always does and hopefully get us into the game and late into the game because that’s what he’s been doing," Van Horn said. "He’s been throwing a lot of strikes and he competes hard. He just gives us an opportunity."

LSU ace right-hander Luke Holman (5-1, 0.78 ERA), who transferred in from SEC West rival Alabama and currently leads the SEC in ERA, will not start for the Tigers on Thursday and he will instead start Friday. The team currently has a "TBA" designation for starting pitcher.

Unable to watch Arkansas-LSU? HawgBeat has you covered with inning-by-inning updates, highlights and more from the Hogs' 7-4 win over LSU:

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LHP Hagen Smith pitching for Arkansas

- Frey strikes out looking on five pitches to start the game

- Pearson strikes out swinging on four pitches

- White lines out to Wilmsmeyer in center field

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

LHP Javen Coleman pitching for LSU

- Stovall strikes out looking on three pitches

- Aloy walks after a five-pitch AB

- McLaughlin singles to center, Aloy advances to third on the play after a hit and run

- Sprague-Lott grounds into an inning-ending double play, Braswell (SS) to Jones (1B)

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

Smith still pitching for Arkansas

- Travinski strikes out looking in a full-count, six-pitch AB

- Jones strikes out swinging on a 96 MPH fastball

- Braswell grounds out to Aloy at shortstop to end the inning

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Coleman still pitching for LSU

- Diggs strikes out looking in a 2-2 count

- Wagner flies out to Kling in center field

- White strikes out swinging after five pitches

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Smith still pitching for Arkansas

- Bingham singles to Aloy and it's just deep enough to reach first base

- Kling reaches on a fielder's choice, Bingham out at second on the play

- Milam strikes out swinging on an 85 MPH slider

- Frey reaches on a fielder's choice, Kling out at second base unassisted after a great play by Stovall

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

Coleman still pitching for LSU

- Edmunson flies out to Pearson in right field

- Wilmsmeyer fights off a pitch and reaches on a single to right field

- Stovall walks on four pitches, Wilmsmeyer advances to second

RHP Fidel Ulloa relieves Coleman

- Aloy walks to load the bases

- McLaughlin flies out to Kling in deep center field, Stovall advances to third, Wilmsmeyer scores on the play (1-0)

- Aloy steals second

- Sprague-Lott grounds out to White at third base to end the threat

1 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Smith still pitching for Arkansas

- Pearson grounds out to McLaughlin at first base unassisted

- White smacks a homer over the left field wall to tie the game (1-1)

- Travinski makes it back-to-back home runs, as he launches one to right field (2-1)

- Jones strikes out looking on five pitches

- Braswell singles to left field in an 0-2 count

- Bingham grounds out to Smith, who gets the out at first base

2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

Ulloa still pitching for LSU

- Diggs lines out to Kling in center field

- Wagner takes Ulloa deep to left field to tie the game (2-2)

- White walks on five pitches

- Edmunson flies out and despite a near-collision, Kling makes the catch in the left gap

- Wilmsmeyer singles to center field, White advances to second on the play

LHP Justin Loer relieves Ulloa

- Stovall lasers a single to right field, Wilmsmeyer advances to third, White scores on the play (3-2)

- Aloy strikes out swinging on four pitches to end the inning

2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Smith still pitching for Arkansas

- Kling strikes out looking after a full-count, six-pitch AB

- Milam grounds out to Aloy at shortstop on the first pitch of the AB

- Frey strikes out swinging on a nasty 82 MPH slider

0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Loer still pitching for LSU

- McLaughlin walks on five pitches

- Sprague-Lott strikes out looking on an inside pitch in a 3-2 count

- Diggs strikes out looking on five pitches

- Wagner walks on five pitches, McLaughlin advances to second base

- White singles to center field, Wagner out at third on a throw from Kling in center, McLaughlin doesn't reach home before the final out

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Smith still pitching for Arkansas

- Pearson strikes out swinging on five pitches

- White flies out to Diggs in right field

- Travinski pokes one into right field in a 3-2 count

- Jones strikes out swinging on an 82 MPH slider

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

RHP Christian Little relieves Loer for LSU

- Edmunson flies out to Pearson in right field on the first pitch of the AB

- Wilmsmeyer grounds out to Braswell at shortstop

- Stovall singles to left center in an 0-2 count

- Aloy singles to shortstop, Stovall advances to second on the play

- McLaughlin grounds out to Milam at second base to end the threat

0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

RHP Will McEntire relieves Smith for Arkansas

- Braswell strikes out swinging on three pitches

- Bingham smacks a double to center field

- Larson strikes out looking after a six-pitch AB

- Milam strikes out swinging on four pitches to end the frame

0 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

Little still pitching for LSU

- Sprague-Lott singles to center field in a 1-2 count

- Diggs pops up to Braswell on an awkward catch in shallow left

- Wagner strikes out swinging on three pitches

- Sprague-Lott steals second

- White walks after five pitches

Ross Lovich pinch hits for Edmunson

LHP Cam Johnson relieves Little

- Lovich walks on four pitches to load the bases

- Wilmsmeyer draws a full-count walk, all baserunners advance and Sprague-Lott scores (4-2)

- Stovall strikes out swinging after a competitive six-pitch AB

1 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB

McEntire still pitching for Arkansas

- Frey strikes out looking on a 2-2 breaking ball

- Pearson strikes out swinging on a pitch in the dirt

- White singles to left field

- Travinski walks on six pitches, White advances to second

- Jones singles to left field, Brown advances to third, White scores on the play (4-3)

- Braswell strikes out swinging on four pitches

1 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

RHP Gavin Guidry relieves Johnson for LSU

- Aloy walks on five pitches to start the inning

- McLaughlin strikes out looking on three pitches

- Sprague-Lott walks on four pitches, Aloy advances to second

- Diggs destroys a baseball over the right field fence to score three (7-3)

RHP Will Hellmers relieves Guidry

- Wagner strikes out looking in a full-count, seven-pitch AB

- White pops up to Jones at first base on the first pitch

3 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB

McEntire still pitching for Arkansas

- Bingham strikes out looking on three pitches

- Larson walked on a full-count, eight-pitch AB

- Milam doubles down the right field line, Larson advances to third on the play

- Milam advances to third on a wild pitch, Larson scores (7-4)

- Neal strikes out swinging in a full-count

LHP Stone Hewlett relieves McEntire

- Pearson strikes out looking in a full-count to end the game

1 runs, 1 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

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Who: No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks (20-3, 5-1 SEC) vs. No. 8 LSU Tigers (20-6, 2-4 SEC)

When: Thursday, March 28 at 6:00 p.m. CT

Where: Baum-Walker Stadium — Fayetteville, Arkansas

TV/Stream: ESPN2/Watch ESPN (Tom Hart and Kyle Peterson)

Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter)

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Arkansas:

1. Peyton Stovall, 2B

2. Wehiwa Aloy, SS

3. Ben McLaughlin, 1B

4. Jared Sprague-Lott, 3B

5. Kendall Diggs, RF

6. Jack Wagner, DH

7. Hudson White, C

8. Will Edmunson, LF

9. Ty Wilmsmeyer, CF

SP: LHP Hagen Smith (4-0, 1.24 ERA)

LSU:

1. Ethan Frey, DH

2. Josh Pearson, RF

3. Tommy White, 3B

4. Hayden Travinski, C

5. Jared Jones, 1B

6. Michael Braswell III, SS

7. Mac Bingham, LF

8. Paxton Kling, CF

9. Steven Milam, 2B

SP: LHP Javen Coleman (2-0, 4.60 ERA)

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