Logos by Arkansas Baseball and LSU Baseball
The top-ranked Fighting Tigers of LSU welcome Arkansas to Alex Box Stadium for a three-game, two-day series. Game One was a pitchers’ duel until it wasn’t, with Arkansas scoring eight runs in the top of the 10th inning to put LSU away 9-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Both pitchers started the game dealing, only allowing one hit to LSU through the first three innings. Arkansas got on the board in the fourth inning with a double by Tavian Josenberger. He then moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Peyton Stovall to make it 1-0 Razorbacks.
Arkansas loaded the bases in the sixth after three walks by Paul Skenes but the Air Force transfer settled down and stranded them all with a critical punchout.
In the bottom of the seventh, Gavin Dugas got on after getting hit with the first pitch before Brayden Jobert lined a single to right to put runners on first and second with two outs for Jordan Thompson. Jobert was caught napping on the base paths for the third out of the inning
In the bottom of the eighth, Brady Neal tied the game for the Tigers with a homer into left field to tie the game up at 1-1.
In the tenth, Arkansas took a 4-1 lead off of a Reese Robinett three-run shot to straightaway center field after he pinch hit for John Bolton. Brady Slavens had a sacrifice fly to center field to score Josenberger to increase the lead to 5-1.
The scoring didn’t stop there for Arkansas, as Kendall Diggs got his first base hit of the contest when he unloaded the base to right field for a crucial grand slam to push the lead to 9-1 and put the game out of reach, barring a miracle.
Dylan Crews got two of the runs back in the bottom of the tenth when he launched a two-run homer to straight center off the batter’s eye to make it 9-3, but the Razorbacks closed the door to seal the deal.
BIG NUMBER: 8
LSU surrendered eight runs in the tenth inning to Arkansas, including a three-run homer and a grand slam to push the Razorback lead to 9-1 late in the game.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Paul Skenes
Skenes kept LSU in the game for the first seven innings, keeping it within a run for the Tigers to tie it late. He struck out 12, gave up one run, and walked three.
UP NEXT: LSU and Arkansas will play a doubleheader tomorrow at Alex Box with the first game at 1:00 p.m. followed by Game 3 at 6:30 p.m. You can hear both contests on The Game.