FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas hit five home runs - including a grand slam - Thursday night and pounded No. 17 LSU by a final score of 14-4 at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The No. 4 Razorbacks (38-12, 18-7 SEC) moved to a 2 1/2-game lead in the SEC West with five games to play.
Arkansas scored two in the second inning, three in the third and six in the fourth to break open a game that LSU led 2-1 early. The Tigers (30-20, 14-11) allowed double-digit runs for the third consecutive game and lost their fourth straight.
Casey Martin, Casey Opitz, Dominic Fletcher, Trevor Ezell and Jack Kenley all hit home runs for the Razorbacks. Opitz's two-run homer with two outs in the second inning gave Arkansas the lead for good, and Kenley's fourth-inning homer was the team's fifth grand slam this season.
The Razorbacks out-hit the Tigers 15-7.
Arkansas starter Isaiah Campbell threw six innings to earn his ninth win. Campbell allowed two runs and struck out four batters.
LSU starter Ma'Khail Hilliard took his third loss with a three-inning start in which he allowed six runs.
Arkansas 14, LSU 4 - End 8th Inning
Kole Ramage, who has struggled quite a bit recently, just had a good three-up-and-three-down inning against the teeth of the Tigers' order. It looks like this might be Ramage's game to finish.
Clay Moffett relieved for LSU and set down the Hogs 1-2-3. Zack Plunkett pinch hit for Casey Opitz and will catch the ninth. Jacob Burton relieves Ramage and will pitch the ninth for the Hogs.
Arkansas 14, LSU 4 - End 7th Inning
The Razorbacks got a run back in the bottom of the seventh inning when Casey Martin scored from first base on an RBI single by Dominic Fletcher. Martin reached with a leadoff single and is 4-for-5 tonight after a 0-for-8 doubleheader at Kentucky last Sunday.
Arkansas stranded two runners in the inning when Jacob Nesbit struck out. The Razorbacks left eight on base tonight.
Arkansas 13, LSU 4 - Middle 7th Inning
LSU added a second run in the inning on Zach Smith's two-out RBI single. Zach Watson flied out to strand Smith at second base.
Arkansas 13, LSU 3 - Top 7th Inning
LSU stopped a streak of 12 consecutive runs by the Razorbacks with Daniel Cabrera's solo home run to lead off the seventh inning. That is Cabrera's second home run tonight and 11th of the season.
Arkansas 13, LSU 2 - End 6th Inning
Jack Kenley walked to lead off the sixth, went first-to-third on a single by Jacob Nesbit and scored on a wild pitch for the Razorbacks' 13th run of the game.
Nesbit was stranded at second base on back-to-back strikeouts by Christian Franklin and Trevor Ezell.
Arkansas is out-hitting LSU 13-4.
Kole Ramage will replace Isaiah Campbell on the mound in the seventh inning for the Razorbacks. Final line for Campbell: 6 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts. He is in line for his ninth win of the season.
Arkansas 12, LSU 2 - Middle 6th Inning
Isaiah Campbell worked around a two-out single in the sixth. He is at 94 pitches, so you have to wonder whether he will return for another inning. Dave Van Horn made the decision to take Blaine Knight out of the game a lot after six innings late last season, saying every inning he didn't pitch would be beneficial later in the year.
Campbell has pitched really well tonight after a rough start. He has allowed four hits, struck out four and walked one.
Arkansas 12, LSU 2 - Middle 5th Inning
Isaiah Campbell has settled in after a rocky first couple of innings. He has retired the past six batters in a combined 17 pitches and is cruising now after five innings.
Arkansas 12, LSU 2 - End 4th Inning
Arkansas loaded the bases again with one out, and Jacob Nesbit scored on a sacrifice fly by Trevor Ezell. Casey Martin struck out on a high fastball to end the inning, stranding two runners.
The Razorbacks scored six runs in the fourth inning. The Jack Kenley grand slam was Arkansas' fifth this year, which ties the school record for most grand slams in a season.
Arkansas 11, LSU 2 - Bottom 4th Inning
The Razorbacks just hit their fifth home run of the game - a grand slam by Jack Kenley inside the right-field foul pole - to go up by nine runs. Arkansas has 10 hits. This is just an unbelievable offensive performance by the Razorbacks.
Arkansas 7, LSU 2 - Bottom 4th Inning
The Razorbacks have a home run in every inning so far after Trevor Ezell's moonshot to right field to lead off the fourth inning. That was Ezell's seventh home run this season. It traveled 420 feet and was 105 mph off the bat.
Arkansas 6, LSU 2 - Middle 4th Inning
Isaiah Campbell got the quick inning that he was needing, a 10-pitch fourth that keeps his pitch count at 66.
LSU is making a pitching change in the fourth, replacing Ma'Khail Hilliard with Riggs Threadgill. Hilliard's final line: 3 innings, 6 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts. He is in line for his third loss of the season.
Arkansas 6, LSU 2 - End 3rd Inning
The Razorbacks missed on a chance to blow the game open in the third. Christian Franklin grounded out on a 2-2 pitch with the bases loaded to strand three.
Heston Kjerstad and Jack Kenley reached on on back-to-back singles before Jacob Nesbit struck out looking for the second out. Casey Opitz drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Arkansas sent nine to the plate in the inning.
LSU starter Ma'Khail Hilliard has thrown 79 pitches through three innings. No one is throwing in the Tigers' bullpen, which suggests Hilliard will pitch again in the fourth.
Arkansas 6, LSU 2 - Bottom 3rd Inning
Dominic Fletcher just hit Arkansas' third home run in as many innings, a two-run no-doubter off the video board in right-center field. It scored Casey Martin from third base.
The Razorbacks are torching sophomore Ma'Khail Hilliard, who has given up six hits after Heston Kjerstad's one-out single following the home run.
Arkansas 4, LSU 2 - Bottom 3rd Inning
Trevor Ezell walked, stole second base and advanced to third on a Casey Martin infield single. He scored on an RBI groundout by Matt Goodheart to put the Razorbacks ahead by two runs.
Arkansas 3, LSU 2 - Bottom 2nd Inning
What a start to this game. Casey Opitz hit a no-doubter over the back of the bullpen in right field to score two and the Razorbacks are on top for the first time. Jacob Nesbit, who reached with a two-out single, also scored.
That was only the second home run this season for Opitz, whose first homer was during the comeback win at Vanderbilt on April 14.
LSU 2, Arkansas 1 - Middle 2nd Inning
The first game has not disappointed in entertainment. Daniel Cabrera launched a leadoff home run in the second inning to put LSU back on top. That was Cabrera's 10th home run of the season, and the third homer allowed by Isaiah Campbell in his past four starts.
Campbell has thrown 42 pitches through two innings.
Arkansas 1, LSU 1 - Bottom 1st Inning
Casey Martin hammered a 2-2 pitch from Ma'Khail Hilliard to tie the game. Martin's homer went into the left-field bullpen and came on the seventh pitch of his at-bat against Hilliard.
That is Martin's third home run in the past five games. His past two homers were inside-the-park hits.
LSU 1, Arkansas 0 - Middle 1st Inning
LSU had a productive first inning. Josh Smith singled to lead off the inning and scored on Antoine Duplantis' one-out RBI double.
Isaiah Campbell bounced back to strike out designated hitter Cade Beloso and got Chris Reid to fly out at the end of a long at-bat. Campbell had to throw 26 pitches in the inning. He'll need some quick innings or the Razorbacks will have to use the bullpen more than it has in most series openers this year.
Pregame
It's the final home series of the regular season, but it feels more like the first.
It is a rainy, cool day in Fayetteville and temperatures will be in the 40s by the end of the game. Some rain has fallen this afternoon, but it has held off enough for the Razorbacks and Tigers to start this game on time.
A large crowd is on hand, but it isn't packed.
The pitching matchup tonight is between Arkansas' Isaiah Campbell (8-1, 2.54 ERA) and LSU sophomore right hander Ma'Khail Hillard (0-2, 4.59 ERA).
The Razorbacks are sticking with the same lineup they have played with the past several games.
Some of the SEC's most veteran umpires are working the game, including Scott Kennedy behind the plate and Barry Chambers at second base.
Arkansas is wearing its home white jerseys with red hates. LSU is in gray jerseys and purple hats.