The No. 1 LSU baseball team avoided losing its first series to Arkansas since 2011, taking Game 3, 7-4, in Baum Stadium on Saturday.
The Tigers (21-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) survived a late-inning Razorback (11-11, 1-5 SEC) rally for their fourth SEC win on the year.
LSU got the bats going in the third, roping three hits and plating two runs off Arkansas pitcher Trey Killian to take an early 2-0 advantage. LSU senior second baseman Jared Foster got the Tigers going with a solo-shot to left field, his fifth home run on the season and second of the series.
LSU senior designated hitter Chris Sciambra continued to produce in the leadoff spot, getting his second hit of the day in the third inning on a double to center field. Sciambra scored in the next at bat with a one-run single to center field by LSU junior right fielder Mark Laird for the early 2-0 lead.
Sciambra didn’t take his new position in the lineup lightly, finishing 4-for-5 on the day as part of the Tigers’ 15 hits.
LSU put at least one runner on base in the first five innings, snapping their streak in the sixth on a quick inning from Killian, who got the lineup in order.
The Tigers extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning on a one-run double down the right field line by junior shortstop Alex Bregman, his team-leading 23rd RBI of the season. Bregman picked up his 24th RBI in the seventh with a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Tigers a 5-1 lead.
Laird added his second RBI of the day in the seventh inning on a one-run single to left field. Laird finished the day 2-for-5 with two RBIs, both on singles.
Arkansas creeped back, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh off LSU senior pitcher Zac Person on a two-run shot to right field by Arkansas left fielder Joe Serrano. Serrano’s home run cut the Tigers’ lead to 5-3.
Person left the game after only ⅓ innings pitched with runners on first and second. Person faced five batters and retired only one. LSU sophomore pitcher Collin Strall came in relief for Person, loading the bases hitting the first batter he faced.
Strall came back in the next at bat to force a double play on the first pitch to get out of the base-loaded jam and preserve the Tigers’ lead.
Strall, however, dug the Tigers back into a hole in the eighth. Strall walked two batters to give the Razorbacks life.
LSU sophomore pitcher Alden Cartwright walked a batter of his own and hit another one with an errant pitch. Cartwright gave up a single to Serrano in the next at-bat to allow the Razorbacks to cut the Tigers’ lead to 5-4.
With one out and runners on first and second, LSU coach Paul Mainieri elected to go to freshman closer Jesse Stallings early. Stallings retired the next two batters he faced to get out of the jam and keep the Tigers on top.
The Tigers put the Razorbacks’ run to the rest when senior third baseman Conner Hale hit a two-run shot in the ninth inning to extend their lead to 7-4 and give Stallings a comfortable lead for his 10th save of the season.
LSU freshman pitcher Jake Godfrey earned his fifth win on the season in one of his better outings as a Tiger. Godfrey went five innings, allowing only one run on five hits with five strikeouts.
Godfrey kept clean through four innings before tapering off in the fifth. Arkansas rallied for a run on two hits in the fifth to cut the Tigers’ lead to 3-1. Godfrey got out of the fifth inning jam, stranding two Razorback baserunners to finish his outing with minimal damage.
Godfrey stranded seven Arkansas runners in his outing, with four of those runners in scoring position. Arkansas went 2-for-8 with runners on and 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position against Godfrey.
LSU now moves on to face Tulane in New Orleans on Tuesday, with first pitch at 6:30 p.m.