BATON ROUGE — In his first Southeastern Conference start, LSU’s Hunter Gomez gave up one run, a home run in the third, in seven innings to lead LSU to a 12-3 victory over Arkansas in game one of the three-game weekend series Friday night in Alex Box Stadium.
Gomez scattered six hits and struck out eight while walking only one to improve to 5-0 on the season and 3-0 in Southeastern Conference play this season. After entering the game in fifth place in the league in ERA with a 1.99, Gomez improved that stat to 1.89.
LSU improved to 24-10 on the season and 8-4 in the Southeastern Conference, and the Tigers are now tied with Mississippi State (7-3) for the Western Division lead after the Bulldogs fell to South Carolina, 1-0. LSU trails Mississippi State in winning percentage but is no longer a game back.
Arkansas fell to 15-18 on the season including 2-9 in Southeastern Conference play. The Hogs have lost six consecutive games overall and nine-straight in the SEC after beating Tennessee twice to begin conference play. The nine-game SEC losing streak tied a school record.
LSU scored its first four runs in the bottom of the second when Brad Hawpe reached on a hard-hit ground ball that was ruled an error, Wally Pontiff singled to right field, Jeff Lipari walked and Ray Wright knocked in two runs with a single between the first and second basemen. Pontiff was gunned down at the plate going home, but the umpire ruled interference on third baseman Kyle Washburn giving LSU a 2-0 lead.
After loading the bases with another walk, Mike Fontenot hit a two-run single to score Wright and Lipari and give LSU a 4-0 lead.
Arkansas answered with a solo home run in the top of the third by Jeff Fletcher, the first of his career, cutting the lead to 4-1.
The Tigers put two more on the board in the bottom of the third after Witten grounded into a fielder’s choice to drive in a run from third and Lipari lined a double off the wall in right center field to drive in Barbier and give LSU a 6-1 advantage.
LSU continued to produce a pair of runs at a time, as Barbier launched a two-run home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the fifth.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Brad Cresse hit his 15th home run of the season to put LSU up 9-1. In LSU’s half of the seventh, Pontiff tripled off the wall in left center and the came home on a single by Witten. Two batters later, Theriot hit a single through the left side to drive in Witten before Cresse singled to center scoring Wright and putting LSU up 12-1.
Jason Scobie entered in the eighth in relief of Gomez, allowing a run on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Bryan King before getting out of a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth without allowing a run.