FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas’ aggressive hitters touched LSU ace Lane Mestepey for eight runs and 11 hits in just over five innings as the Razorbacks had little trouble disposing of the top-ranked Tigers, 8-1, in a Southeastern Conference game Friday night at Baum Stadium.
LSU (36-14-1, 17-8 SEC) had an eight-game winning streak snapped, and more importantly, saw their lead cut to one game over Georgia (34-15, 15-9), a 5-4 winner over Vanderbilt. Ole Miss (35-15-1, 16-9) lost to Tennessee and is tied for second with Georgia.
The Tigers and Razorbacks play game two of the three-game set Saturday at 6:30 p.m., with the finale set for 1 p.m. Sunday.
Arkansas pitcher Charlie Isaacson, a Freshman All-American in 1999 but hobbled by arm problems for most of the last two years, pitched his first complete game since April 30, 1999 against Mississippi State, did not allow an earned run and scattered five hits to improve to 4-6.
“Charlie was magnificent tonight,” LSU coach Skip Bertman said. “He mixed three pitches and threw balls well off the plate.
Arkansas (25-26, 9-16) went down in order in the first against Mestepey, but they got on the board in the second. Michael Conner led off the inning with a double, and after Brian Kirby’s fly ball to deep center moved him to third, Conner came home with the game’s first run on a double to right by Jeff Fletcher. It could have been worse, though, as Ryan Fox walked and Cody Clark singled to load the bases, but Cliff Crouse lined into a double play to Mike Fontenot at second to end the threat.
Two innings later, the Razorbacks broke the game open with a four-run frame.
Mestepey got off to a bad start in the inning when he hit Conner, but after getting Kirby to pop up to the mound, he induced Fletcher to hit into what appeared to be a double-play grounder. But Tiger shortstop Ryan Theriot bobbled the ball and allowed Conner to reach second safely, then compounded his problem by throwing the ball away, putting runners on second and third.
Fox made LSU pay for the costly mistakes, lining a two-run double past Ray Wright in right field. Fox would be thrown out one batter later when he tried to score on Clark’s single, but Arkansas would soon have a 5-0 lead when Crouse lined a Mestepey pitch into the Arkansas bullpen in left field for his first career home run.
Mestepey, who had gone into the eighth inning in each of his eight previous starts in SEC play, was chased from the game with one out in the sixth inning after allowing a single to Clark and an RBI double to Jeff Hoefler.
The freshman southpaw gave up season highs in runs (8) and hits (11) as he lost his second decision in his last three outings after starting the year 7-0.
“The Arkansas offense was upbeat and on fire with the large crowd,” Bertman said. “Every time we play, the opponent puts out its best shot and its largest crowd, which is good. But we have to answer it, and we didn’t tonight.”
Weylin Guidry, who came in to relieve Mestepey, uncorked a wild pitch on his first pitch to score Crouse, whom Mestepey had walked, then gave up an RBI single to Andrew Wishy.
Hoefler’s 4-for-5 evening led the Razorbacks, while Clark went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
LSU got its only run in the top of the sixth. Theriot led off with a walk, and after a passed ball sent him to second, the Tiger shortstop would score on a sacrifice fly by Fontenot.