BATON ROUGE, La. — Arkansas had no answer against LSU righty starter Anthony Eyanson as No. 3 LSU beat the No. 7 Razorbacks 13-3 in seven innings behind four homers to clinch the series.

“We had like 20 three-ball counts in a seven-inning ballgame,” coach Dave Van Horn said. “That’s just way too many.”

Arkansas recorded 16 three-ball counts and only registered eight strikeouts against the LSU batting order, which was coming up to bat for the fourth time during their fifth-inning at-bat with one out.

It’s the first time this season that the Hogs lost the first two games of a weekend series.

To cap off an otherwise messy game for the Razorbacks, LSU triggered the mercy rule in the bottom of the seventh when they scored the winning run from second base due to a wild pitch during a strikeout.


It marked the first time since May 18 of the previous year, when they were run-ruled by Texas A&M, that an opposing team had done so to the Razorbacks.

In six scoreless innings, Eyanson notched 11 of his 18 strikeouts and held the Razorbacks to just five hits. Last week, he pitched a full nine-inning complete game against Texas A&M.

The only scoring opportunity for Arkansas materialized in the third inning when catcher Ryder Helfrick contributed a bunt single and first baseman Reese Robinett drew a four-pitch walk, loading the bases with no outs.

In Arkansas, with the bases full and only one out, it was shortstop Wehiwa Aloy and right fielder Logan Maxwell who were next in line to bat.

Eyanson retired both batters consecutively. Prior to the third run being scored during the seventh inning of the 12-0 match, the Razorbacks collectively had only two hits out of sixteen attempts when having runners in scoring position. However, none of these hits resulted in a score.

He keeps up an impressive streak as the LSU weekend pitcher. Over his past three outings against Tennessee, Texas A&M, and most recently Arkansas, he has conceded only three runs in 20⅔ innings.

The pitching didn’t fare much better against an LSU lineup that saw all nine starters reach base.

Gage Wood lasted just two innings on 60 pitches. Right fielder Jake Brown started the homer barrage with a three-run shot to right field.


The whole pitching team had issues with control. The group consisting of Wood, Ben Bybee, Colin Fisher, Tate McGuire, and Steele Eaves issued a season-best nine walks.

Brown hit his second home run in as many plate appearances during the third inning, extending their lead to 5-0.


The four homers also tied a season-high. The Razorbacks also allowed four homers to Ole Miss and Missouri State.

Designated hitter Ethan Frey who homered Friday and provided the game-winning sac fly, applied the coupe de grace with a three-run homer.

Arkansas will try to salvage the series finale. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday and will be broadcast on SEC Network.


News and Notes:


Long Awaited Return:

Lefty Hunter Dietz benefited from the Razorbacks scoring three runs in the top of the seventh in a 12-0 game. He made his first appearance in 397 days, returning from a bone-related elbow injury. He recorded two strikeouts and hit 98 miles an hour on the fastball according to both the SEC Network broadcast and the stadium radar gun. However, his second strikeout ended the game in unceremonious fashion as chaos ensued.

“I didn’t expect him to throw it as hard as he did tonight,” Van Horn said. “It’s really just about throwing the ball back where he was, which is in the mid-90s and have a little bit of a secondary pitch and he did.”

Van Horn remains confident that with just one week left to go in the regular season, Dietz is finally ready to make a significant impact on the staff.

“It would have been nice to have been able to pitch him three weeks ago,” Van Horn said. “He wasn’t ready yet. Now he is, it looks like.”


Van Horn’s History of Games Against LSU:

Arkansas came into the weekend on good form against the Tigers, having won 12 of the last 16. Friday and Saturday’s game marked the 75th and 76th time Arkansas played LSU under Van Horn. The Razorbacks are now 30-46 in those games.


HOGS FEED:

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Arkansas suffers first run-rule loss against LSU; drops key series

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