HOOVER, Ala. - Arkansas’ 4-1 victory Thursday night over No. 2 LSU at the SEC Tournament was tighter than the final score indicated.
The Razorbacks didn’t take the lead until the top of the eighth inning and scored two insurance runs in the ninth as they strung together three singles, including Matt Vinson’s RBI bunt, stole two bases, had a sacrifice bunt and took advantage of a wild pitch.
“Those runs in the ninth were huge,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “It just gave us a chance to relax a little bit.”
Joe Serrano hit a line drive single off LSU reliever Kurt McCune to score pinch-runner Jacob Morris from third and put the Razorbacks ahead 3-1.
Serrano then stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a squeeze-bunt single by Vinson.
“We haven’t been scoring many late runs and we came through,” said Serrano, who went 2 for 5 and had an RBI double. “Everybody sees Arkansas as a pitching team, but we’re trying to boost our hitting.”
The Razorbacks took a 2-1 lead in the eighth on Tyler Spoon’s squeeze-bunt single that scored Vinson from third.
“I never saw so many squeeze bunts in my life,” LSU Coach Paul Mainieri said.
“We played some small ball and got some timely hits,” said Spoon, a freshman right fielder who was 3 for 4. “We practice the safety squeeze every day. That’s a big part of our game.”
Mainieri said Arkansas’ squeeze bunts were well executed.
“If they execute perfectly, quite frankly it’s an indefensible play,” he said.
“There’s just not much you can do against it the way they put it down.” Suggs ties record
Arkansas junior Colby Suggs pitched a perfect ninth inning against LSU and tied the school season record with his 12th save, matching Tim Deitz (1985) and Phillip Stidham (1989).
“He’s been lights out pretty much every time out,” Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said. “It was good to see him go out there and just get right through that inning.”
Suggs struck out Sean McMullen looking to end the game.
Regional talk
Arkansas is 20-11 against SEC teams, which Coach Dave Van Horn said he hopes is good enough for the NCAA to award the Razorbacks a host spot at Baum Stadium for next weekend’s regional tournament.
“I’m not out begging for it. I think that we’ve earned it,” Van Horn said. “We’ve beaten some good people.
“Yeah, I think we should host a regional, and I hope we get to.” More than a cold
Arkansas freshman catcher Jean Ramirez made his second consecutive start Thursday in place of junior Jake Wise, who has been ill.
“I heard that the TV said on Wednesday that Wise had a cold, which is hilarious,” Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said.
“It was a lot worse than that. He was very sick.
“He felt a lot better [Thursday]. When I saw him at breakfast he didn’t look good, he didn’t sound good, but he did eat a lot, and that’s the first time he’s been able to eat in a while.”
Van Horn said Wise told him he could play Thursday night, and he caught the ninth inning after Ramirez played the first eight.
Up next
ARKANSAS VS. ALABAMA/LSU
WHEN Noon Saturday WHERE Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Hoover, Ala.
RECORDS Arkansas 37-19; Alabama 34-25; LSU 49-9 RADIO Razorbacks Sports Network, which includes KQSM-FM 92.1 in Fayetteville and KABZ-FM 103.7 in Little Rock. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.
TELEVISION ESPNEWS INTERNET www.arkansasrazorbacks.com PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas: Randall Fant (LHP, 5-1, 2.08 ERA). Opponent: TBA
Sports, Pages 23 on 05/24/2013