Top-ranked Arkansas takes Game 1 from LSU
FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks (20-3, 5-1 SEC) outlasted the No. 8 LSU Tigers (20-6, 2-4 SEC) for a 7-4 victory in Game 1 on Thursday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas ace Hagen Smith tossed six innings in the start and had 10 strikeouts compared to no walks on a night that featured very questionable home plate umpiring. Smith did give up five hits, two of which were back-to-back solo homers in the top of the fourth inning.
"He’s one of the best pitchers I’ve ever faced in my entire career," LSU head coach Jay Johnson said of Smith postgame. "I hope we get to face him again at some point. That would be good for our team.”
The Razorbacks' duo of Smith and veteran right-hander Will McEntire combined for 26 of the 27 outs, and McEntire added eight punchouts of his own. Kansas transfer lefty Stone Hewlett picked up the final out of the game and the save.
"I just think you’ve got Hagen throwing from the left side, obviously bringing it pretty good, and then you kind of come with a different type guy, a right-hander who’s kind of got a downer and a little breaking ball and his fastball’s 90 mph, but it looks harder because they’re trying to hit that cutter," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said postgame. "Just a lot of deception there. I think that’s part of it, but the other thing, I think they just hit spots, threw well. It’s just a big night for our pitchers, that’s for sure."
Arkansas had 10 total hits in the game, six of which came with runners on base, although they did strand 10 runners on throughout the game. Junior right fielder Kendall Diggs' three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth was the offensive highlight of the day for the 11,000-plus fans in attendance.
LSU had three batters with at least two hits, and the Tigers had nine hits as a team compared to 19 strikeouts. The Bayou Bengals used seven pitchers in the contest who combined to walk 11 batters and strikeout 10.
Smith started things off with a pair of strikeouts and wrapped up an 11-pitch, 1-2-3 top of the first with a 111 mile per hour lineout to center from LSU slugger Tommy White.
LSU starter Javen Coleman had runners on the corners with just one out in the bottom half of the first, but Arkansas third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame and squander the opportunity.
Both teams were retired in order in the second inning, and the Tigers managed to pick up their first hit of the game with a leadoff single in the top of the third. Smith retired the next three in the row, the third of which came thanks in part to a web gem from Peyton Stovall at second base.
In the bottom half, it was Stovall drawing a one-out walk to put two runners on and chase Coleman from the game. LSU turned to right-handed reliever Fidel Ulloa, who controlled the damage by giving up just one run on a near grand slam from Ben McLaughlin that turned into an RBI sacrifice fly out. Another Sprague-Lott groundout left two more runners on.
The Tigers made Smith look human for the first time since Opening Day, as White and Hayden Travinski hit back-to-back one-out solo home runs to give LSU a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth.
Tarleton State transfer Jack Wagner tied things up with his second homer in as many games — a 364-foot shot to left field that made it 2-2. Ulloa faced three more batters before he was relieved by left-hander Justin Loer, who inherited two runners on with two outs. Stovall hit a 106 mile per hour RBI single to give the Hogs a 3-2 lead, but that was all Loer allowed in the frame.
Smith was back to his usual self in the fifth inning, as he picked up two more strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame. Drama was high in the bottom half, as the Hogs seemed to score a run on a single from Hudson White, but Wagner was thrown out trying to stretch third to negate the run and keep it 3-2 after five innings.
After allowing a two-out single in the top of the sixth, Smith erased it with his 10th and final strikeout of the night. LSU decided to turn to hard-throwing righty Christian Little in the bottom of the sixth, and he worked around a pair of two-out singles to keep the deficit at one run.
McEntire came on in relief in the top of the seventh and struck out the side, although there was a two-out double mixed in there. Little once again ran into two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and the Tigers elected to bring in lefty Cam Johnson, who gave up one run via an RBI walk to make it 4-2, but that was all the damage after Stovall struck out swinging to leave the bases loaded for Arkansas.
After starting the top of the eighth with back-to-back strikeouts, McEntire allowed the next three batters to reach, including Jared Jones, who hit an RBI single to make it a 4-3 game and prompt a mound visit for the Hogs. McEntire responded with his sixth strikeout to limit the damage.
The Tigers brought on right-hander Gavin Guidry to start the bottom of the eighth, and it proved to be a mistake as he walked two and then gave up a 381-foot three-run homer to Diggs that made the Hogs' lead four runs with just three outs left to get.
"He wasn’t having a great night, but we always talk about, you still have time," Van Horn said. "You can still help the team. To me, he had a great night. He drove in three runs. That's all I'm looking at here is that he drove in three runs. I don’t care what else he did. Just took one swing to flip his night and hopefully get him rolling."
Getting the three outs was easier said than done, as McEntire only picked up two while allowing a run to cross on a wild pitch. Van Horn turned to left-handed specialists Stone Hewlett for the final out and he delivered a strikeout to end the game.
The Razorbacks and Tigers will meet for Game 2 of the series Friday at 7 p.m. CT at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be televised live on SEC Network.
Box Score
