Hudson White, Hogs walk it off for 4-3 10-inning win over LSU

FAYETTEVILLE — No. 1 Arkansas defeated No. 8 LSU 4-3 in 10 innings thanks to a double by catcher Hudson White that allowed Will Edmunson to score from first base in front of 11,156 fans at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Arkansas (22-3, 7-1) won it in the bottom of the 10th inning. LSU (20-8, 2-6) had tied the game at 3 in the top of the sixth. It remained that way until the bottom of the 10th. Jared Sprague-Lott struck out to start he bottom half of the inning. Will Edmunson then hit a routine ground ball to LSU’s Michael Braswell III at shortstop. The ball went under Braswell’s glove allowing Edmunson to reach with one out. White then stepped to the plate and hit a 1-0 pitch off Thatcher Hurd into the left field corner. Edmunson raced home from first base and the celebration started. White, who transferred in from Texas Tech in the offseason, was met by the entire team once Edmunson scored. They tore his jersey off, but White stated just how happy he is to be at Arkansas.

“I look up and I see Ryder (Helfrick), one of our catchers, with a bucket of water,” White said. “And I got wet. There’s nothing like it. Like something I’ve never seen. We’ve got some of the best fans in college baseball and I’m just so happy to be here.”

LSU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third off Mason Molina. Steven Milam started the inning off with a single. After an out, Tommy White lined a single to into right field. Jared Jones then walked to load the bases with one out. Molina fanned Hayden Travinski for the second out. Josh Pearson then hit a two-out single allowing both Milam and White to score.

In the bottom of the fourth, Arkansas plated three runs. Ross Lovich walked. White lined out to the shortstop. Nolan Souza walked and Ty Wilmsmeyer doubled to get Lovich home. Peyton Stovall then grounded out to shortstop, but it allowed Souza to score. Ben McLaughlin then doubled to get Wilmsmeyer home and allow the Hogs to take the lead.

LSU tied the game in the top of the sixth. Pearson was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Ethan Frey then walked. Ashton Larson then lined out to left field plating Pearson. Christian Foutch, who retired Larson, then got Milam to hit into a double play on some nice fielding by Stovall to end a big LSU rally.

Arkansas had a threatening inning in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Wehiwa Aloy singled to left field. Kendall Diggs then singled allowing Aloy to go to third base. Van Horn called for Jared Sprague-Lott to bunt and try to squeeze Aloy home. But the ball was played perfectly by LSU first baseman Jared Jones getting Aloy out at home.

Arkansas used four pitchers on the day. Stone Hewlett (1-0) got the win. Molina, Foutch and Gabe Gaeckle also pitched for the Hogs. They combined to allow nine hits, struck out 12 and only walked three. Molina worked five innings, allowed seven hits, three runs, walked three and struck out seven.

LSU used Luke Holman, Griffin Herring and Hurd. Hurd (1-4) took the loss. They allowed nine hits, struck out 14 Razorbacks and walked five. Holman worked 4.1 innings in the start. He allowed five hits, three runs, walked five and struck out five.

The two teams will play at 2 p.m. Saturday to wrap up the series. Arkansas will send Brady Tygart (3-0, 1.59) to the mound to face LSU’s Gage Jump (2-0, 2.38).