Defense leads to LSU overtaking the Hogs in ninth inning 6-5

Arkansas took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday night, but just when it seemed a winner-take-all game was coming up on Thursday night the unthinkable happened.

The inning started with Cole Gibler striking out pinch hitter John Pearson. Leadoff hitter Derek Curiel then hit a grounder between first and second that saw first baseman Reese Robinett go nearly to second base to field it. He tried to throw to Gibler at first but tossed it away. Curiel was credited with a single and then got second on the error.

Gibler then walked Ethan Frey. With runners on first and second and one out, Steven Milam hit what appeared to be a double-play ball to shortstop Wehiwa Aloy. Aloy, instead of trying to get the game-ending double play, opted to throw to third baseman Brent Iredale to get the lead runner. Now with two outs, catcher Luis Hernandez hit a line drive that most figured Charles Davalan would catch in left field to end the game. Instead, Davalan slipped and the ball bounced off of hit. Both runners scored to tie the game at 5 and Hernandez was credited with a double.

Dave Van Horn went to the bullpen and brought in Aiden Jimenez who had thrown 41 pitches in three innings on Tuesday night. Jimenez opted to pitch to Jared Jones, who had tied the game in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run. Jones singled over the head of second baseman Cam Kozeal to end the Arkansas season as Hernandez raced home from second base.

Van Horn was asked about some plays and decisions in the ninth inning. Van Horn was asked if Aloy should have tried for the double play and his thoughts on the fly ball to Davalan?

“The way it all turned out, I guess I would have,” Van Horn said. “I haven’t talked to him about it. I think he felt he moved too far to his right for Cam to turn it. I don’t know. He’s an average runner. He’s not a flyer, but he’s not slow either. So I don’t know.

“And then the ball — I had a straight-on view of it. It was hit hard, obviously. It was kind of hooking and sinking. But it looked like Charles slipped like right at the beginning of taking off for it. When he slipped he probably lost sight of it. When the ball is hit that hard, he’s just trying to find it. I’d have to watch it again. We’re a long ways away. That’s what I saw.”

Van Horn did relay his conversation with Davalan after the game.

“I went down finally made it to the bench before I came up here,” Van Horn said. “He’s pretty distraught. But I just told him — I started telling him how much I appreciated him and we would never have made it here without him.

“He said that he was sorry. And I said don’t tell me you’re sorry. You don’t have to tell me you’re sorry. And he said it again. It’s tough. That kid doesn’t have to be sorry for anything. He was our glue, man. He held it together.”

Arkansas (50-15) saw its season end with the loss.