FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — If you’re looking for highlights from Arkansas on Friday night, there was one.
And only one.
Razorbacks center fielder Tavian Josenberger hit a homer in the third inning. Complete highlight. That’s all, folks.
With a stiff breeze blowing from right to left across the field, the Hogs couldn’t do much against Alabama starter Ben Hess in a 12-1 loss to open a crucial three-game series at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks are 4-2 in conference play while the Crimson Tide are 2-4. Coach Dave Van Horn said this week in a press conference they easily could have the same record.
Alabama started the game and got the third batter on with an error on the Hogs, but Hunter Hollan on the mound got out of it without any further damage.
In the bottom of the first, Josenberger led off getting hit by a pitch, then Jace Bohrofen got a single, but the threats ended there with two quick outs on some high fly balls that were much more exciting with the high winds.
The Crimson Tide got things going in the second inning as Caden Rose led off with a double, then scored on a single by Dominic Tamez as they have a read on what Hollan is throwing.
Josenberger’s homer proved to be the last hit the Hogs could muster until the ninth when Peyton Stovall got a two-out single but it didn’t go anywhere with the game ending right after.
It snapped the Hogs’ 15-game home winning streak, the team’s longest under coach Dave Van Horn. Arkansas’ pitchers were tagged for 22 hits in the loss, the most hits allowed by a Razorback team in the Van Horn era.
Including Josenberger’s solo shot, Arkansas had just three hits. Jace Bohrofen and Peyton Stovall each picked up singles in Friday’s ballgame.
On the mound, the Hogs’ Hollan allowed seven runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out four over four innings.
Gage Wood and Austin Ledbetter both worked in relief of Hollan, allowing five runs on 12 hits and three walks. Zack Morris, meanwhile, struck out the only batter he faced on three pitches.
The Razorbacks, on a three-game SEC losing streak in the regular season for the first time since 2019, will look to bounce back in game two of the series tomorrow at Baum-Walker Stadium.
First pitch is set for 2 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network+ with Josh Haley (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (analyst) on the call.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
