The No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (41-15) advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament with a 5-4 win over the No. 5 LSU Tigers (43-14) on Thursday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
Arkansas, which is the 2-seed, benefitted from two strong outings from left-handers Hagen Smith and Hunter Hollan. The duo gave up four runs on 11 hits, but combined to strike out 17 batters in the contest.
The Razorbacks plated five runs, two of which were earned, against SEC Pitcher of the Year Paul Skenes in the bottom of the fourth and that proved to be enough.
By securing a spot in the semifinal round, Arkansas will now get a day off and will play the winner of 10-seed Texas A&M and 3-seed LSU at noon CT on Saturday.
HawgBeat provided inning-by-inning updates for Thursday's contest, which was broadcast on the SEC Network...
Starting Lineups
Arkansas
1. CF Tavian Josenberger (S)
2. DH Kendall Diggs (L)
3. RF Jace Bohrofen (L)
4. LF Jared Wegner (R)
5. 1B Brady Slavens (L)
6. 3B Caleb Cali (R)
7. 2B Peyton Holt (R)
8. SS Harold Coll (R)
9. C Parker Rowland (S)
SP: Hagen Smith (L)
LSU
1. CF Dylan Crews (R)
2. LF Josh Pearson (L)
3. 3B Tommy White (R)
4. DH Hayden Travinski (R)
5. 1B Tre' Morgan (L)
6. SS Jordan Thompson (R)
7. RF Brayden Jobert (L)
8. 2B Gavin Dugas (R)
6. C Alex Milazzo (R)
SP: Paul Skenes (R)
Top 1
Hagen Smith began his outing with a three-pitch strikeout to SEC Player of the Year Dylan Crews.
Following another strikeout, Smith gave up a single through the left side to Tommy White. Hayden Travinski moved White over to third by blooping a single into right field. Tre' Morgan singled to left and brought White around to put LSU ahead 1-0.
Smith's third strikeout came against Jordan Thompson to strand Travinski and Morgan.
Bottom 1
Tavian Josenberger led things off with a nine-pitch walk, but he was stranded after Kendall Diggs flied out to right, Jace Bohrofen lined out to short and Jared Wegner struck out looking at a slider.
Top 2
Smith racked up two more strikeouts to begin the frame and his first non-strikeout was a groundout to third by Alex Milazzo for the third out.
Bottom 2
Arkansas continued to make contact against Skenes and Peyton Holt finally got a hit to fall with a two-out single to right field. A Harold Coll groundout to shortstop ended the frame.
Top 3
Smith worked his second straight 1-2-3 frame and added two more strikeouts — his second to Crews and first to White.
Bottom 3
Skenes hit Parker Rowland with a 1-1 pitch to begin the frame. The big right-hander bounced by with three straight outs, the last two coming on strikes against Diggs and Bohrofen.
Top 4
Travisinki earned his second hit of the game with a leadoff single through the left side. Tre' Morgan followed Travinski with another single through the left side to put two on with no outs.
Smith responded with a pair of strikeouts to put his game total to nine and then he walked Gavin Dugas to load the bases with two outs and bring his day to a close. Arkansas turned to LHP Hunter Hollan with bases loaded and two outs.
Hollan threw a wild pitch on a 1-2 count that scored Travinski and advanced Morgan and Dugs. The next pitch from Hollan was strike three to get him out of trouble.
Bottom 4
Jared Wegner reached via a hit by pitch to lead the inning off and he moved to third via a single up the middle from Brady Slavens. Caleb Cali singled through the right side to score Wegner and make it a 2-1 LSU lead.
Peyton Holt singled up the middle to score Slavens and tie the game at 2-2 with no outs.
Following a Harold Coll fly out to center, Parker Rowland drew a one-out walk to load the bases. After Josenberger popped out to second, Skenes was replaced by LHP Riley Cooper with bases loaded and two outs. Cooper got Diggs to pop out to shortstop, but it ended up being catcher's interference to score Arkansas' third run.
Jace Bohrofen stepped to the plate and snuck an 0-1 pitch through the right side to score a pair and give the Hogs a 5-2 lead. Cooper escaped the frame via a Wegner groundout to second.
Top 5
Hollan worked a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the fifth and he sat Pearson and White down on strikes for his second and third outs, respectively.
Bottom 5
Arkansas went down in order against Cooper in the frame. Slavens and Cali both flied out, while Holt fouled out to the right fielder.
Top 6
Travinski and Morgan both recorded singles off Hollan to begin the frame. Thompson reached on a fielder's choice that ended up being a 6-4-5 double play as Peyton Holt caught Travinski stepping past third. Braden Jobert flied out to right to end the frame.
Bottom 6
Cooper earned another three up, three down frame and struck out Rowland and Josenberger for the last two outs.
Top 7
After making an incredible pick and throw at shortstop, Harold Coll's throw to first was just late to allow Dugas a one-out single. Crews drew a walk to reach base for the first time on the day and give the Tigers a pair on with one out.
Hollan bounced back by striking out Pearson and getting White to groundout to third.
Bottom 7
Cooper repeated his bottom of the sixth by retiring the Hogs in order and earning his second and third outs on strikes.
Top 8
Travinski led things off with a single to left and he advanced to second via a one-out wild pitch. Thompson drove Travinski home with an RBI single to left.
Hollan responded by getting Jobert to fly out to center and striking out Dugas to strand Thompson.
Bottom 8
Slavens took a 0-1 pitch for a one-out single down the right field line, but Cooper struck out Holt and Coll to strand Slavens.
Top 9
Dylan Crews belted a one-out solo homer to left to make it a one-run game. Paxton Kling came on to pinch hit for Pearson and he struck out on three pitches. White grounded out to short to end the game.
