No. 7 Arkansas (40-11, 17-9 SEC) was routed by the No. 3 LSU Tigers (40-11, 17-9 SEC) in run-rule fashion, 13-3, in seven innings on Saturday evening in Baton Rouge, La., at Alex Box Stadium. The Razorbacks have now dropped four of their last five series.
Arkansas baseball vs LSU: Game 2
LSU wasted little time getting on the board with LF Derek Curiel leading off with a single and 2B Daniel Dickinson reaching on a one-out walk. RF Jake Brown smoked a three-run home run to right field to give the Tigers an early 3-0 lead.
LSU went on to score one run in the bottom of the second, third and fourth to build its lead to 6-0. C Cade Arrambide led off the bottom of the second with a solo shot to right center, and Brown led off the bottom of the third with a solo shot of his own off RHP Ben Bybee, who relieved RHP Gage Wood to begin the frame.
The Tigers loaded up the bases in the bottom of the fourth with Chris Stanfield reaching on an error, Curiel legging out an infield single to second base, and 1B Jared Jones drawing a walk to start the inning. After Dickinson fouled out, RHP Colin Fisher relieved Bybee and struck out Brown for the second out. DH Ethan Frey drove in a run on an RBI walk to extend the lead to six until Fisher struck out SS Steven Milam.
LSU put up a six-run rally in the bottom of the fifth with 3B Michael Braswell III leading off with a walk and Arrambide singling through the right side. After a wild pitch allowed both runners to move into scoring position, Stanfield drove in Braswell with an RBI sacrifice fly to right field while Arrambide moved up to third base.
After Curiel drew a walk to put runners on the corners, Fisher was relieved by RHP Tate McGuire. Jones drew a walk to load up the bases and was thrown out at second after Dickinson reached on an RBI fielder’s choice to cash in Arrambide. Brown singled up the middle to push across Curiel from third base, and Frey capped off the rally with a three-run home run to right field to give the Tigers a commanding 12-0 lead.
Arkansas finally found some offense in the top of the seventh with C Ryder Helfrick doubling down the left field line and 1B Reese Robinett drawing a walk to put runners on first and second. CF Justin Thomas Jr. singled to right field to score Helfrick while Robinett moved over to third base. After LHP DJ Primeaux relieved RHP Mavrick Rizy, LF Charles Davalan smoked an RBI single up the middle to bring in Robinett with Thomas moving to second.
RHP Jaden Noot was placed on the mound and struck out SS Wehiwa Aloy, but a wild pitch allowed both runners to move into scoring position. RF Logan Maxwell drove in Davalan with an RBI sacrifice fly to center to momentarily avoid the run-rule, 12-3, but DH Kuhio Aloy grounded out to second to end the three-run rally.
LHP Hunter Dietz made his season debut in the bottom of the seventh in relief of RHP Steele Eaves. Dickinson led off the inning with a single to left center and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Brown. Frey struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Milam struck out swinging but reached on a dropped strike on a wild pitch. This allowed Dickinson to score all the way from second to complete the run-rule win over Arkansas.
The Razorbacks and the Tigers will finish up the series on Sunday in Alex Box Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.