BATON ROUGE — No. 11 Arkansas erased a 2-1 deficit with a run in the eighth and two runs in the ninth as the Razorbacks evened the series with LSU, 4-2, on a windy Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.
The Tigers (28-17, 7-13) sit in sixth place in the SEC Western Division standings. Arkansas (31-13, 11-9) remained in third place after Ole Miss’ victory over Tennessee Saturday.
The rubber match of the LSU-Arkansas series is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday, and it will be televised by Cox Sports Television (Cable Ch. 37 in Baton Rouge).
Live streaming video and audio are available in the Geaux Zone powered by USAgencies on www.LSUsports.net.
Right-hander Jonathan Wilhite (1-1), who earned the win in Game 1, suffered the loss on Saturday, allowing two runs on two hits in one inning of relief.
Wilhite surrendered a pair of two-out hits in the ninth when centerfielder Craig Gentry tied the game with an RBI double, and left fielder Jake Dugger singled to give the Razorbacks a two-run cushion.
Right-hander Devin Collis (6-1), who took the loss Friday night, qualified for the win with two scoreless innings of relief.
Offensively, LSU was paced by second baseman J.T. Wise and left fielder Bruce Sprowl, who were both 2-for-4 at the plate. Centerfielder Jarred Bogany extended his hitting streak to seven games.
The Tigers left 10 runners stranded on the day and failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities in the late innings.
“Nobody really swung the bats well today,” said LSU head coach Smoke Laval. “You just don’t know what we are going to get. I have to give their pitchers a little credit. We didn’t get good swings off. It’s like I’ve saying, which guys are going to show up?”
For the second consecutive game, LSU was presented with a chance for a big inning in the first. Hog starter Trey Holloway walked Michael Hollander, and Sprowl and Wise followed with singles.
Holloway then walked catcher Matt Liuzza with the bases loaded, scoring Hollander from third. Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn went to his bullpen with right-hander Darryl Maday, who had faced one batter in Game 1 Friday night.
Maday minimized the damage, inducing a double-play groundball from first baseman Jordan Mayer to silence the threat.
The score remained 1-0 until the fourth when LSU starter Louis Coleman made his first mistake of the afternoon. First baseman Danny Hamblin tied the game with a two-out, solo homer that carried beyond the left-field fence.
Coleman and Maday engaged in a pitcher’s duel on a day where a 25-mph wind blew steadily toward the outfield.
Coleman surrendered consecutive singles to start the fifth but battled back to keep the Hogs off the board. Maday worked perfect frames in the third and fourth, but allowed a leadoff infield single to centerfielder Bogany to start the fifth.
Bogany took second on a wild throw that bounced into the LSU dugout from third baseman Blake Parker. Hollander then advanced Bogany to third on a groundout, and Sprowl lined a clutch RBI single to left putting the Tigers in front again, 2-1.
Coleman worked scoreless innings through the seventh until Arkansas knotted the game again in the eighth. Designated hitter David Hum drove in Dugger with a single.
Coleman benefited from two terrific defensive plays that could have easily been extra base hits. Sprowl made a running grab down the left field line on a fly ball from Ewing, and right fielder Quinn Stewart caught the last out of the inning on a liner to the warning track that held the score at 2-2.
Coleman left after allowing only two runs on seven hits in 7.2 innings of work. The freshman walked two and struck out three in a 118-pitch outing.
Once again, LSU was presented with a chance to take the lead in its half of the eighth. After a Wise single, Liuzza sacrificed pinch runner Chris McGhee down to second, and third baseman Harris advanced him to third with a fly ball.
However, Collis induced a fly ball from Bogany, and the Tigers left a runner stranded in scoring position.
The Hogs seized the momentum and didn’t waste their chance to take a lead with two outs in the ninth.
Wilhite walked leadoff hitter Brian Walker. Two outs later, Gentry used the wind to his advantage with a liner off the left field wall, scoring pinch runner Stephen Robison. Dugger provided an insurance run with a sharp RBI single to right.
Collis pitched around a single to Hollander to preserve the win as second baseman Nick Pontiff grounded out to second base to end the game.
NOTES: Saturday was Warren Morris Day at Alex Box Stadium as the hero of the 1996 College World Series threw out the first pitch and signed autographs … Liuzza’s sacrifice bunt in the eighth was LSU’s 35th of the season, which tied a school record set by the 1975 team.
Arkansas 4, LSU 2 (Apr 29, 2006 at Baton Rouge, La.)
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Arkansas………… 000 100 012 – 4 9 1 (31-13, 11-9 SEC)
LSU………………. 100 010 000 – 2 6 0 (28-17, 7-13 SEC)
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Pitchers: Arkansas – Holloway; Maday(1); Rhoads(5); Bollman(6); Collis(8). LSU – Coleman; Wilhite(8); Ramirez(9).
Win-Collis(6-1) Loss-Wilhite(1-1) T-2:55 A-7377
HR ARK – Hamblin (13).
Actual attendance: 2,304
Bollman faced 1 batter in the 8th.