The No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks (41-11, 18-9 SEC) avoided being swept Sunday by the No. 3 LSU Tigers (40-11, 17-9 SEC) with a 7-4 win at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Starter Landon Beidelschies made it through two innings of two-run ball before getting pulled from the game. He struck out four Tiger batters and also gave up four hits with only 42 pitches thrown.
Arkansas' offense used a four-run third inning to avoid the sweep, powered by a Ryder Helfrick double and Cam Kozeal two-RBI single. Helfrick finished with two doubles, while Kozeal and Brent Iredale also notched two hits.
Five pitchers combined for seven innings out of the bullpen. That crew — Dylan Carter, Christian Foutch, Cole Gibler, Aiden Jimenez and Parker Coil — totaled 11 strikeouts, three walks and one earned run.
RECAP
Top 1st:
Facing LSU starter Casan Evans, leadoff man Charles Davalan struck out swinging but reached first base on a wild pitch. After a Wehiwa Aloy full-count strikeout, Carson Boles grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Bottom 1st:
Arkansas southpaw Landon Beidelschies struck out his first batter of the day on three pitches, then drew a groundball for a quick second out. A double broke up the clean frame, but another strikeout ended the early scoring threat.
Top 2nd:
The second got off with a bang for the Razorbacks, who had men on second and third with no outs after a Kuhio Aloy walk and Ryder Helfrick double. However, like Arkansas has done so many times this series, it stranded both runners with a lineout, strikeout and groundout.
Bottom 2nd:
Beidelschies notched strikeout No. 3 to begin the bottom of the second, but was quickly tagged with a solo blast to left field which handed LSU a 1-0 lead. After a flyout, the Tigers hit another homer to left field to make it 2-0. An error by Iredale let the next man reach base, and after a Beidelschies hit-by-pitch, the Hogs ended the inning with another strikeout.
Top 3rd:
9-hole Justin Thomas Jr. doubled to leadoff the third. He advanced to third after Davalan grounded out on a bunt attempt. Wehiwa Aloy drove in Thomas with a sac-fly, then Boles walked. Kuhio Aloy singled to left field and after a mound visit, Helfrick doubled to tie the game. Cam Kozeal made it 4-2, Hogs, with a single up the middle. Following an Iredale single, Rocco Peppi struck out swinging.
Bottom 3rd:
Reese Robinett replaced Peppi at first base in the third. After a leadoff single for LSU, Arkansas turned to Dylan Carter out of the bullpen. The veteran righty worked a flyout, but a single gave the Tigers runners on the corners. LSU made it 4-3 with another single. After a Carter hit-by-pitch, a groundball double play got him out of the jam.
Top 4th:
The first pitch of the fourth resulted in a flyout by Thomas. Davalan followed up with a single and Wehiwa Aloy walked in a full count. Boles flied out, and LSU made a change to Chase Shores on the mound, who drew a flyout from Kuhio Aloy.
Bottom 4th:
LSU had its leadoff man reach with a walk, but Carter bounced back with two strikeouts and a flyout.
Top 5th:
Helfrick, who already had two hits on the day, walked to start the fifth. A Kozeal groundout moved Helfrick to third, where he eventually scored from after a Robinett groundout. Thomas closed the frame with a strikeout, and the Hogs led 5-3.
Bottom 5th:
Arkansas bullpen arm Christian Foutch entered the game and displayed his dominance, as he went 1-2-3 with two strikeouts and a groundout.
Top 6th:
LSU got two quick outs to start the sixth in the form of a Davalan groundout and Wehiwa Aloy strikeout swinging. Logan Maxwell pinch hit for Boles, and he flied out to center field.
Bottom 6th:
Foutch earned the first two outs of the frame with a strikeout and groundout. LSU broke it up with a single, which forced Arkansas into a pitching change to Cole Gibler, who got a strikeout.
Top 7th:
Kuhio Aloy and Helfrick struck out in back-to-back at-bats to begin the seventh before Kozeal singled to right field. Iredale hit a line drive to the right fielder's glove for the final out.
Bottom 7th:
In true Gibler fashion, he struck out LSU's leadoff batter, but drew a groundball for out No. 2. After a walk, the Tigers inserted a pinch-hitter to face Gibler, who gave up two wild pitches before getting a K.
Top 8th:
LSU made a pitching change to freshman lefty Cooper Williams in the eighth. Robinett worked an 11-pitch at-bat before striking out. Williams followed that up with a full-count walk. LSU coach Jay Johnson was tossed after arguing balls and strikes. Thomas stole second and third, but was stranded there after a flyout and a punchout.
Bottom 8th:
Aiden Jimenez came in to pitch for the Hogs, and he got started with a strikeout before getting hit with a single. The Tigers got another single before LSU scored a run with an RBI groundout. Up 5-4, Jimenez escaped with a a groundout.
Top 9th:
Maxwell walked on 10 pitches to leadoff the ninth. The Tigers made a change to William Schmidt, who walked Kuhio Aloy in a full count. Another walk, this time to Helfrick, loaded the bases. After another pitching change, Kozeal popped up on the first pitch. Iredale walked to drive in a run, then Robinett singled in another run to make it 7-4. The Tigers finally got out of the frame with a foulout and flyout.
Bottom 9th:
Back on the mound and looking to close out the win, Jimenez got started with a strikeout. The Tigers had the tying run on deck after notching a single, and then they had the tying run at the plate following a walk. That forced a pitching change to Parker Coil, who worked a three-pitch strikeout and a quick lineout to end the game.
