Anderson dazzles Hogs as Tigers win CWS opener

By Hunt Palmer

THE STORY

LSU stared Arkansas right between the eyes and beat them.

The Arkansas offense may be the best in college baseball. Zach Root has been sensational all year. Gabe Gaeckle is going to pitch in the big leagues soon.

Kade Anderson and the Tigers were too much for that group to handle.

Anderson smothered the Hogs for seven dominant innings. The offense scratched for just enough. Chase Shores pitched out of trouble in the eighth, and freshman Casan Evans was nails in the ninth.

Arkansas has played 62 games. That’s the first time they’ve been held to less than two runs.

Anderson induced a pair of 5-4-3 double play balls to escape a baserunner in the second and third innings.

The one in the second felt particularly important after the Tigers had hung a three-spot and chased Root in the top half.

Root walked a pair of Tigers, and then Daniel Dickinson dropped down a perfect drag bunt that Root had to put in his pocket to load the bases. Chris Stanfield dumped a bloop single into left to get the Tigers on the board, and Michael Braswell was hit in the foot trying to squeeze a run home. That brought home the second run. Josh Pearson hustled to beat out a potential double play ball for run number three.

The Tigers were gifted an early scoring opportunity against Root, and they seized it even without hitting the ball hard.

Anderson took it from there.

A Hog lineup ranked fourth in the country in OPS against lefties just never solved the sophomore southpaw who pitched LSU into the winners’ bracket and probably made himself some money in the process.

Reese Robinett’s sixth inning solo shot into the LSU bullpen was all Arkansas could muster. Anderson responded to that by retiring the next three hitters including a punchout of SEC Player of the Year Wehiwa Aloy.

LSU added a massive insurance run in the eighth inning when Derek Curiel sliced an 0-2 slider into left field with Stevan Milam on second base and two outs. The single came off stellar freshman lefty Cole Gibler who was specifically brought in to retire Curiel. The at bat was so impressive because Curiel whiffed on the first two devastating sliders from Gibler, but the third time he saw it, he smoked it.

That added a run to the scoreboard and had to have dealt a blow to the Arkansas psyche.

Gaeckle was sensational. He took over for Root with two out in the second and worked six stellar innings with 10 strikeouts. At one point he retired 15 of 16 hitters while featuring a mid 90s fastball and a wicked slider.

I was a little stunned to see Anderson lifted after yielding a single to lead of the eighth, and when Shores fired his first pitch to the backstop, it looked like Arkansas had real life. Shores bowed up and retired two-three-four of the potent Razorback lineup to choke off the threat. The last out was a missile of the bat of Justin Thomas, but it hung up for Stanfield in center field.

Evans hung a slider to Charles Davalan to open the ninth, and the Hog leadoff man ripped it into center for a leadoff single. After that, Evans made quick work of two-three-four in the order to slam the door.

This was always a brutal draw for LSU in the opener. The win is yet another feather in the cap of a team that is now unbeaten against Root, Kyson Witherspoon, Jared Spencer, Pico Kohn, Liam Doyle, Marcus Phillips and Gage Wood.

The best No. 1 starter in college baseball got it done. And now LSU turns the ball over to the best No. 2 in college baseball on Monday.

THE SCORECARD

Kade Anderson’s line: 7IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 7K, 100 pitches, 60 strikes

Gabe Gaeckle’s line: 6IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 10K

Zach Root’s line: 1.2IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 2K

Arkansas was 0-for-12 with runners on base and 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

The Hogs got the leadoff man on five time in nine innings and never advanced  a runner to third base outside of the Robinette homer.

LSU did not get a leadoff runner on base all night.

Anderson now has 170 strikeouts to lead college baseball.

LSU pitching issued just two walks. LSU’s first two runs reached base on walks, and one run was forced home on a by pitch.

Jared Jones: 0-for-5, 5K

Both teams played errorless baseball.

WHAT’S NEXT

Arkansas plays Murray State Monday afternoon at 1:00. LSU plays UCLA Monday night at 6:00. The Tigers will send Anthony Eyanson to the mound. UCLA figures to counter with right hander Landon Stump (6-1, 4.54 ERA).