Arkansas fights off LSU comeback attempt to win series opener

Robert Moore’s bat and Brady Tygart’s grit lifted Arkansas over LSU on Thursday.

In a game defined by pitching and defense through the first six innings, Arkansas (26-7, 9-4 SEC) needed a late push to fight off the comeback-minded LSU Tigers (23-10, 7-6 SEC) in Thursday’s series-opener in a 5-4 win.

Down 2-0, LSU was able to fight back to take a 3-2 lead in the 6th inning on RBI singles by the heart of their lineup, Jacob Berry, Cade Doughty, and Josh Pearson.

The Razorbacks responded in the 7th inning by scoring three runs to retake the lead, 5-3, headlined by a two-RBI single by [autotag]Robert Moore[/autotag]. But, as they had proven earlier in the game, LSU had the ability to fight back.

Arkansas called on freshman [autotag]Brady Tygart[/autotag] after a tough start to the 8th inning that began with three batters reaching base before a single out was recorded. LSU got a run back, but once that run scored, Tygart got a groundball that turned into a double play to put an end to the pressure that the Tigers were putting on Arkansas.

“That was absolutely huge. That put absolutely all of the momentum in our dugout. That got our fans really, really into the game,” said Tygart of the 8th inning double play.

The headline prior to LSU stealing the lead in the top of the 6th was [autotag]Connor Noland[/autotag]. Noland had everything working for him through 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one baserunner before Dylan Crews singled up the middle to give the Tigers their first hit.

“I was very aware,” Noland said during the postgame press conference when asked if he knew that he was throwing a no-hitter through five innings.

Noland ended the game with seven strikeouts and four hits allowed in 6.0 innings of work. Evan Taylor earned the win out of the bullpen, allowing an unearned run while striking out three batters in 1.0 innings. Tygart would go on to get his 5th save of the season.

[autotag]Cayden Wallace[/autotag] led the Razorbacks with two hits while [autotag]Braydon Webb[/autotag] and Robert Moore recorded two RBI.

Game two of the series with LSU is set for 6 p.m. CT Friday, and can be seen on SEC Network.