LSU’s bats came to life Saturday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Alex Box Stadium.
The top-ranked Tigers had 7 extra-base hits, including 3 home runs, and defeated third-ranked Arkansas 12-2 in a 7-inning run rule to even the series at a game apiece. The teams are scheduled to play the series finale Saturday beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Baton Rouge, La.
"You've just got to get through it, let it go and move on to Game 3," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn told Razorback Sports Network. "This is the game to win the series."
LSU (20-3, 3-2 SEC) scored three runs against Arkansas right-handed reliever Austin Ledbetter in the bottom of the seventh inning to enact the run rule. All three runs were scored after right-hander Gage Wood replaced Ledbetter with the bases loaded.
Tre’ Morgan singled, Dylan Crews forced home a run when he was hit by a pitch, and Brayden Jobert had a sacrifice fly to score Alex Milazzo to the end the game.
"I can't speak enough about the magnitude of that," LSU coach Jay Johnson said of winning via run rule during the Tigers' post-game radio show. "Once we could see it materializing, it's like, hey, we're going for it. Hat tip to the SEC — I haven't loved the 10-run rule, but I loved it today."
The Razorbacks (20-3, 4-1 SEC) had a 15-game winning streak snapped. It was their first loss since a Feb. 26 game against Eastern Illinois.
Gavin Dugas and Morgan hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning against Arkansas right-hander Will McEntire. Jordan Thompson also had an RBI double during the inning as the Tigers took a 4-2 lead.
Josh Pearson’s RBI triple put LSU ahead 5-2 in the fourth inning and Crews homered against McEntire in the fifth to give the Tigers a 6-2 lead.
McEntire suffered his first loss with a 4 1/3-inning, 91-pitch start that included 7 runs, 9 hits and 1 walk. In addition to the home runs, the Tigers doubled against McEntire three times and tripled against him once.
"We got off to a bad start on the mound and really didn't recover," Van Horn said. "We had a chance to score runs early and we didn't score, and that kind of gave them a little bit of momentum. Once it got away, we had to start thinking about the second game a little bit."
Right-hander Ty Floyd threw 108 pitches in 6 1/3 innings to earn the win for the Tigers. Floyd allowed 2 runs (1 earned), 3 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 7. He also hit three batters with a pitch.
"We were swinging at his high fastball at the top of the zone," Van Horn said. "We were swinging and missing and fouling it off — just didn't make good contact. Give him credit; he pitched really well.
"We had him in the first inning. He threw over 30 pitches in the first inning. Usually when you get a guy 30 pitches in an inning, he doesn't last very long."
Arkansas led 2-0 when Jared Wegner homered to right-center field in the top of the first inning. The Razorbacks stranded two other runners in the first against Floyd, who needed 32 pitches to get through the inning.
Wegner’s team-leading 10th homer was Arkansas’ only hit in the inning. Lead-off hitter Tavian Josenberger reached on an error by first baseman Cade Beloso, and Brady Slavens and Jace Bohrofen were hit by pitches.
The Razorbacks didn’t threaten Floyd after the third inning when Hudson Polk struck out to strand the bases loaded. Wegner was hit by a pitch, and Bohrofen and Harold Coll walked during the inning.
Floyd faced the minimum over his final 3 2/3 innings until he was lifted with one out in the seventh. Kendall Diggs led off the sixth with a single, but was erased when Polk grounded into an inning-ending double play.
"I'm super proud of Ty," Johnson said. "He got off to a rocky start...but what a response."
Arkansas was out-hit 16-3 by the Tigers.