NW Democrat-Gazette

Routed in Baton Rouge

LSU strikes back at Arkansas with doubleheader sweep.

TOM MURPHY

Top- ranked LSU struck back with a vengeance against No. 3 Arkansas, erupting for 26 runs and 7 home runs to sweep a daynight doubleheader from the Razorbacks on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers powered their way to wins of 12-2 and 14-5 to take the series after Arkansas dealt them their first home loss of the season with an 8- run 10th inning in a 9-3 decision Friday. All of the start times in the series were adjusted due to stormy weather in southern Louisiana, with Saturday’s doubleheader set up due to anticipated storms today.

LSU (21-3, 4-2 SEC) pulled into a tie atop the SEC West with Arkansas (20-4, 4-2) and prevented the Razorbacks from winning back-to-back series in Baton Rouge for the first time. Arkansas, which dropped its first series to the Tigers since 2018, lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

“They are awfully talented,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said of the Tigers. “Disappointed in the way we played today. I just didn’t think we fielded the ball very well, especially the second game.

“We’ve got to get better. That’s for sure if we’re going to be competing with teams like LSU.” The Razorbacks went 2 for 17 (.118) with runners in scoring position in the doubleheader, including 0 for 4 in Game 1, and left 17 runners on base, 11 in the nightcap. LSU Coach Jay Johnson said he wasn’t surprised the Tigers came back strong after Friday’s loss. “We only have three losses on the season and after those three losses there’s been an outstanding performance,” Johnson said. “Yeah, it was a great day for our team.” LSU third baseman Tommy White hit a pair of home runs in Game 2, a 3-run shot in a 6-run fourth and a grand slam in the sixth to pace the Tigers with 7 RBI. LSU center fielder Dylan Crews, the nation’s leader in batting average, onbase percentage and runs, homered in all three games, scored 4 runs in Saturday’s nightcap and went 8 for 13 (.615) in the series. One bright spot on a rough day for Arkansas pitchers came from freshman right-hander Ben Bybee, who worked two scoreless innings, including a tour through the top of the LSU order, in Game 2. The Razorbacks built a pair of two-run leads in the early going of the nightcap for Cody Adcock, but the Tigers’ hot bats would not be denied. LSU took the lead for good at 5-4 in the fourth inning as Jordan Thompson tripled and scored when shortstop John Bolton could not corral Brayden Jobert’s ground ball for an error. Gavin Dugas provided a one-out, two-run homer, his second of the day, just over the left-field wall to make it 7-4 and ignite the huge inning. White, a transfer from North Carolina State, drove a 438-foot home run off Dylan Carter over the wall in center field to make it 10-6. Arkansas held 2-0 leads in the first inning of both games, with Jared Wegner hitting home runs in the opening frame each game. In Game 2, Wegner hit an opposite-field home run to right off Thatcher Hurd, who labored with 39 pitches in the inning. Brady Slavens followed with a double into the right field corner and Jace Bohrofen and Kendall Diggs drew walks to load the bases. Hurd walked Caleb Cali to force in a second run, then struck out Parker Rowland. Adcock walked Tre’ Morgan with one out in the bottom of the second and Crews hammered a 2-0 pitch 446 feet over the center field wall to make it 2-2. Arkansas regained the lead in the third and chased Hurd after he struggled in a 76-pitch outing. Bohrofen singled off the first base bag to open the inning, and Diggs drew another walk. Cali cranked a pair of loud fall balls before driving a fastball into the gap in left-center for a two-run double and a 4-2 lead. LSU erased that in the bottom half of the inning as Dugas was hit by a pitch, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Crews’ single. Beloso’s twoout single off Zack Morris (02) tied it 4-4. Reliever Griffin Herring (20) allowed a run on two hits in two innings to get the win. LSU out-hit the Razorbacks 16-3 in Game 1, rapping out 7 extra-base hits, including 3 home runs, to deliver the 12-2 run-rule win. That game snapped the Razorbacks’ 15-game winning streak, which had begun after a Feb. 26 loss to Eastern Illinois during the Hogs’ 17-1 home stand. It marked the longest in-season streak in Van Horn’s 21 seasons and the longest for Arkansas since winning the first 18 games of 1996. The Razorbacks, who had imposed run-rule wins on four opponents this season, had the tables turned on them in their first run-rule setback under the new guidelines. Junior right-hander Will McEntire suffered his first loss of the season, allowing 7 runs on 9 hits and a walk with 2 strikeouts over 91 pitches in 4 1/3 innings. The Tigers raked 3 for seven extra-base hits, a trio of home runs and doubles and one triple. McEntire (4-1) was staked to a 2-0 lead before he took the mound, but the edge didn’t last long as the Tigers took the lead for good in the second inning on leadoff hitter Dugas’ two-run homer, his sixth. Morgan followed that with a solo shot, his second of the season, for a 4-2 lead and the Tigers were off and running behind right-hander Ty Floyd (4-0).

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2023-03-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-26T07:00:00.0000000Z

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