This article originally appeared in the April 15, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.
The Razorbacks dropped two out of three games to No. 2 LSU this
weekend. It was the Hogs’ first Southeastern Conference series loss since
losing two of three to Mississippi State in the opening series.
LSU took the first game of series 6-2 Friday.
During the first four innings, the game was a pitchers’ duel,
and both teams were scoreless.
Sean McMullen, a junior for the Tigers, broke the tie in the
fifth inning with a three-run home run.
The Tigers added to their lead the next inning with a two-RBI
single by junior Ty Ross.
Arkansas finally got on the board in the seventh inning when
sophomore Eric Fisher hit a two-run home run to pull the Razorbacks within
three. However, that was as close as they would get.
Three errors in the top of the ninth allowed the Tigers to add
another run.
Junior Barrett Astin picked up his second loss of the season,
giving up three earned runs on five hits in 5.2 innings of work.
LSU sophomore Aaron Nola pitched a complete game, allowing only
two earned runs on four hits while striking out 10.
The Razorbacks evened the series Saturday with an 8-3 victory.
Again, the game began as a pitchers’ duel in the first three
innings, but Arkansas broke it open in the fourth. They scored four runs on a
three-run home run by junior Jake Wise and an RBI-single by freshman Tyler
Spoon.
Wise tacked on another RBI in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and
the Razorbacks added three runs in the seventh. Sophomore Brett McAfee walked
with the bases loaded to score one, then senior Jacob Mahan knocked in two runs
on a double down the left field line.
That was plenty of scoring for Arkansas’ starter, junior Ryne
Stanek. Stanek went 6.2 innings, giving up no runs on three walks, five
strikeouts and four hits.
LSU’s starter, junior Ryan Eades, earned his first loss of the
season, dropping to 7-1. He went four innings and gave up five earned runs on
eight hits and three walks. Wise’s home run was the first he had allowed all
season.
The rubber game of the series went 10 innings Sunday before LSU
won 5-3.
Arkansas struck first, scoring a run in the first inning on a
Spoon RBI-single. LSU got on the board in the third, with three RBI by a pair
of freshman. Mark Laird got an RBI fielder’s choice, followed by two-run home
run by Alex Bregman.
The Razorbacks responded with a pair of RBI by a freshman of
their own. Jordan Farris led off the third with a home run and added an
RBI-single in the fourth. It was his first start in SEC play.
“I’m proud of (Farris). He’s a good kid,” head coach Van Horn
said. “I thought he had a good game.”
After the fourth, both pitching staffs settled down and didn’t
allow a run the next five innings, forcing Arkansas’ third Sunday extra-inning
game.
“It looked like it was going to be crazy,” Van Horn said. “It
became a game that was decided by the bullpens. Our bullpen was outstanding and
so was theirs.”
Ross led off the 10th for the Tigers with a double and used a
sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly to score and take the lead. Laird followed the
run with an infield single, when it appeared he ran out of the baseline to
avoid junior Dominic Ficociello’s tag.
However, he was called safe, and Van Horn came out of the dugout
to argue with the umpire. Van Horn was ejected.
“If you go out of the baseline to avoid a tag, you’re out. It’s
simple,” Van Horn said.
Laird eventually scored on an RBI-single by senior Raph Rhymes,
adding an insurance run for the Tigers.
Despite getting a bunt single by sophomore Brett McAfee in the
bottom of the 10th, the Razorbacks came up empty and lost 5-3.
“I thought it was a pretty well-played ball game,” Van Horn
said. “No one really gave each other anything.”
The
Razorbacks return to action Tuesday and Wednesday with a two-game midweek
series in Lincoln, Neb., against Nebraska. First pitch Tuesday is at 6:35 p.m.
and will air on the Big Ten Network.
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