Arkansas blows two-run lead in the ninth to LSU, crash out as semifinalists

Jared Jones hit an RBI single off the glove of second baseman Cam Kozeal and trickled into center field. The wait for the first national title will have to wait for a 24th year for coach Dave Van Horn at Arkansas. 

There were two separate plays in the ninth that could have been made that would have forced a decisive final game for a spot in the finals.

With runners on first and second and one out, shortstop Wehiwa Aloy got a opted to get the forceout at third instead of turn a potential 6-4-3 double play to end the game with the Hogs up 5-3. 

With the game extended, left fielder Charles Davalan dove for a knuckling line drive. The ball got away and allowed the tying run to score all the way from first. 

Jones then applied the finishing touch with the walk-off. Arkansas is now 0-5 against LSU all-time in Omaha. 

Justin Thomas looked to have done the job for Arkansas to extend its season another day. The center fielder has long been described by coach Dave Van Horn as a second leadoff hitter for much of the season. 

It was his two-run single in the top of the ninth that gave the Hogs a 5-3 lead. He finishes Omaha 8-for-14. 

For most of the night, it looked like it was Arkansas’ turn to be the beneficiary of some poor defense. LSU committed three errors. 

Michael Braswell started a potential 5-4-3 inning ending double play in the top of the eighth, but Jones couldn’t pick the ball at first, allowing both the tying and go-ahead runs to score in a 2-1 game. 

Jones rectified his error with a first pitch ambush solo homer off Gabe Gaeckle, who was brought back to pitch again after 90 pitches on Saturday.

Offense was hard to come by in the first five innings as both starters, Landon Beidelschies and Zac Cowan, went toe-to-toe. 

Ryder Helfrick finished his season off on a high with his 15th homer of the season with a first-pitch ambush in the fourth with a 417-foot shot to center.

But outside of that, the story for the Razorbacks against the Tigers was a familiar one. The Hogs were mostly dominated by a Nate Yeskie-led LSU pitching staff.

Other than the homer, Arkansas only got two players into scoring position against Cowan, and neither were on extra base hits.

A catcher’s interference pushed a runner down to second base, and Logan Maxwell’s first stolen base of the season were the only runners that got past first base.

LSU will advance to the championship finals against Coastal Carolina in a best-of-three series to play for their eighth national title, while Coastal Carolina searches for their second. Arkansas has still never won a title since the program was established. 

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