Before sophomore catcher Ty Ross went to the plate Saturday with a tied game in the ninth inning, LSU coach Paul Mainieri stared him in the eyes and gave him a simple sentence of encouragement.
“I believe in excited.”
Katz opened the ninth inning with a double to left-center field before junior left fielder Raph Rhymes grounded out and Astin intentionally walked senior shortstop Austin Nola to set up a double-play situation.
“[Katz’s hit] was the biggest hit of the game, leading us off and giving us a chance to have this walk-off victory,” Ross said.
The win gave LSU its sixth one-run victory in eight Southeastern Conference games this season.
After LSU and Arkansas combined for 25 hits and 16 runs on Friday, Saturday was all about the pitchers. Sophomore starting pitchers Ryan Eades and Ryne Stanek each allowed just one run and combined for 18 strikeouts.
“Their pitcher is one of the best in the country, and I think Ryan Eades is on the verge of being one of the best in the country,” Mainieri said. “Those two kids are going to be two of the highest draft choices in the 2013 [MLB] draft.”
LSU opened the scoring in the first inning when Rhymes drove in sophomore second baseman JaCoby Jones with a single to left field. Rhymes went 3-for-4 with three singles and increased his SEC-leading batting average to .490.
Following the Rhymes hit, Stanek retired 18 of the next 22 batters before being lifted after the seventh inning.
Arkansas tied the game in the second inning when left fielder Derrick Bleeker drove home third baseman Matt Reynolds with a single to left field.
Junior pitcher Chris Cotton replaced Rhymes with one out in the eighth inning and retired all four batters he faced.
“Hats off to Ryan Eades,” Ross said. “That kid went out there and pitched a hell of game. And Chris Cotton coming in after him. Those guys are the reason we can have a walk-off win.”
LSU will attempt the sweep tomorrow at 1 p.m. Freshman pitcher Austin Nola will take the mound for the Tigers and Arkansas will either send Nolan Sanburn or Brandon Moore to oppose him.
A win tomorrow and a loss by Auburn to Mississippi State would give LSU sole possession of the SEC Western Division lead.
“[Arkansas] swept us last year and it didn’t feel too good,” Rhymes said. “It feels good to come out here and clinch a series.”