In the rubber match of a series of top five teams, LSU emphatically rose to the occasion.
The LSU offense was once again the driving force in that effort, as the Tigers put up double-digit runs for the second game in a row.
The LSU bats got to work early. After giving up two runs to Arkansas in the top of the first, LSU responded with two of its own in the bottom of the inning coming on a two-run home run from Dylan Crews.
That home run was Crews’ third of the series and ninth of the season as his monstrous season continues.
“He’s the best baseball player I’ve ever seen,” head coach Jay Johnson said of Crews.
A few innings later, LSU exploded again, scoring eight runs combined in the third and fourth innings. Six of those came in the fourth where Gavin Dugas and Tommy White each hit a home run, driving in five runs between the two in the inning.
Led by White, the LSU bats got hot again in the sixth inning as a grand slam brought in four more runs. White finished the day going 2-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBIs.
LSU as a team finished the game with 11 hits, finishing the series with 35 hits across three games.
“We’ve patterned good performances. I think we were going outside of ourselves and expanding the zone a little too much yesterday,” Johnson said. “That’s not when we’re at our best or best for them. We really look for a pitch that we can drive and if not, we don’t swing and make pitchers execute that way.”
On the mound, Thatcher Hurd got things started for LSU. He struggled early, allowing two runs in the first inning while throwing over 40 pitches. He allowed two more runs, finishing the game allowing four earned runs on four hits and five walks.
The bullpen was vital for LSU, though.
Griffin Herring relieved Hurd and seemed to be a breath of fresh air out of the bullpen for the Tigers. He immediately struck out two batters and closed out the third inning with minimal damage.
Herring finished the game allowing one earned run on two hits in two innings. He also struck out two batters and walked one.
Garrett Edwards replaced Herring in the fifth inning and was dominant over the course of four innings.
In those innings, he allowed no earned runs on two hits while striking out six batters and walking just one.
The key for his success was pitch balance and variety, according to Edwards. He especially cited success with his off-speed pitches.
“Today felt good. All three pitches but more specifically changeup. I thought my changeup was really effective tonight,” Edwards said.
LSU allowed more hits in game three than any other in the series, but situational pitching seemed to be key for LSU in keeping Arkansas’ offense at bay.
The Tigers now improve to 21-3 on the season and 4-2 in SEC play. LSU will be back in action Tuesday to take on Grambling before another home SEC series versus Tennessee next weekend.
