FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sophomore left-hander Clay Dirks fired a brilliant three-hit shutout Saturday as No. 12 LSU blanked 11th-ranked Arkansas, 7-0, at Baum Stadium.
LSU (28-13 overall, 9-8 SEC) won its fourth straight conference game and moved into second place in the Western Division. Arkansas dropped to 31-10 and 8-9 as the Razorbacks lost their fourth straight league contest.
The teams conclude their series at 1:05 p.m. CDT Sunday. Left-hander Greg Smith (5-2, 2.95 ERA) will start on the mound for LSU.
Sunday’s game can be heard on the LSU Sports Network and on the Internet at www.LSUsports.net. The game will also be televised by the Jumbo Sports Network (Cable Ch. 6 in Baton Rouge).
Dirks pitched his second career shutout in improving his record to 8-1 this season. His first shutout came on March 2, 2004, when he allowed just four hits in a 6-0 victory at Tulane.
Saturday’s outing was the fourth complete game of Dirks’ career and his second this season. He threw 124 pitches, limiting Arkansas to just three singles with no walks and a career-high eight strikeouts.
The only Razorback to advance into scoring position was first baseman Danny Hamblin, who singled in the fourth and advanced to second base on a wild pitch.
Dirks’ performance was the best by an LSU pitcher since April 27, 2002, when Brian Wilson fired a three-hit shutout in an 8-0 victory over Arkansas in Baton Rouge.
LSU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Arkansas starter James Gilbert (3-1). Chris Jackson led off the game with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Blake Gill’s single.
Gilbert retired the next two LSU hitters, but Clay Harris lined an RBI double to score Gill.
LSU scored two more runs in the fifth on a pair of solo homers by Derek Hebert and Ryan Patterson. Hebert, pinch-hitting for shortstop Michael Hollander, lined a pitch from reliever Shaun Seibert off of the scoreboard in right-center field for his second homer of the season.
The homer was Hebert’s first since Feb. 20 versus Arkansas-Little Rock in Baton Rouge.
Patterson launched his 16th homer of the year later in the fifth inning to give LSU a 4-0 lead. The home run was Patterson’s third of the series and the 46th of his career as he moved into a tie with Blair Barbier (1997-2000) for sixth place on the Tigers’ career homer list.
The Tigers added three more runs in the eighth against reliever Brian McLelland. Nick Stavinoha walked and Clay Harris singled before Jordan Mayer unloaded a blast beyond the left-center field fence.
Mayer, who homered for the first time since Feb. 12 versus Nicholls State, had replaced first baseman Will Harris in the bottom of the sixth inning when Harris was ejected after striking out and engaging in a argument with Arkansas catcher Brian Walker.
Gilbert was charged with the loss as he allowed two runs on three hits in 0.2 inning with no walks and one strikeout.
LSU 7, Arkansas 0 (Apr 23, 2005 at Fayettevile, Ark.)
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LSU………………… 200 020 030 – 7 8 2 (28-13, 9-8 SEC)
Arkansas………… 000 000 000 – 0 3 0 (31-10, 8-9 SEC)
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Pitchers: LSU – Dirks. Arkansas – Gilbert; Seibert(1); McLelland(8).
Win-Dirks(8-1) Loss-Gilbert(3-1) T-2:39 A-9133
HR LSU – Patterson (16); Mayer (2); Hebert (2).