After taking down South Carolina yesterday 10-3, the LSU Tigers baseball team came back for round three of the SEC tournament as they took on the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Tigers took the early lead but an explosive fourth inning by the Razorbacks is what gave Arkansas the 5-4 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
LSU wasted no time getting on the board as they scored the first run in the opening inning. Dylan Crews and Josh Pearson struck out to start but Tommy White and Hayden Travinski each hit a single with White advancing to third base. Tre’ Morgan drove in White with an RBI single into left field to make it 1-0.
LSU couldn’t get any hits going the next couple of innings while Paul Skenes allowed one hit through the first three innings.
At the top of the fourth, extended their lead. It started with Travinski and Morgan hitting singles down the left side. Jordan Thompson and Brayden Jobert were retired by Arkansas’ Hagen Smith. After Gavin Dugas was walked and loaded the bases, Smith was taken out for Hunter Hollan and he ended the day with nine strikeouts. Travinski scored on a wild pitch to give LSU the two-run advantage.
Arkansas would come back in the bottom of the fourth and take their first lead of the game. It started with Jared Wegner getting hit by a pitch and Brady Slavens hitting a single down the middle, which got Wegner to third. Caleb Cali brought in Wegner while Peyton Holt tied the game with an RBI single up the middle. With two outs and the bases loaded, Riley Cooper came in for Skenes, who finished the day with just three strikouts. Kendall Diggs reached first base on catcher’s interference and two more runs were scored on a single by Jace Bohrofen to make it 5-2 in favor of the Razorbacks.
The Tigers closed the gap in the eighth as Travinski hit a single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Thompson brought him home with a single into left field to cut the deficit to two.
LSU tried to make a comeback in the ninth as Crews hit a solo home run to make it a one-run game but Paxton Kling struck out and Tommy White hit a ground-out to end the game as Arkansas beat the Tigers 5-4.
BIG NUMBER: 27
There were 27 strikeouts in round three of the SEC tournament at Arkansas’ pitchers totaled 17 while the other 10 came from LSU.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Hagen Smith
Both pitchers for Arkansas balled out but Smith gave up one less hit and struck out one more batter with nine retired and five hits allowed in a 5-4 win over LSU.
UP NEXT: LSU will now head to the losers bracket and play Texas A&M tomorrow afternoon. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.