FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Parker Coil’s immaculate inning in the eighth and Logan Maxwell’s walk-off RBI single in the ninth punctuated No. 4 Arkansas’ 4-3 series-sweeping win against Charlotte (4-6) Sunday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
With the win, the Razorbacks improved to 10-1 overall on the year, their best 11-game start to a campaign since 2021, and their ninth 10-1 or better start to a season since Dave Van Horn’s first as head coach in 2003.
Sunday’s win clinched Arkansas’ second weekend series sweep of the year following its Opening Weekend sweep against Washington State.
Arkansas has won 31 consecutive non-conference home weekend series, a streak dating back to the start of the 2015 campaign.
The Razorbacks have not lost or tied a non-conference regular season weekend series inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium since 2014, when Arkansas lost two-of-three games to South Alabama.
Maxwell’s walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth capped his three-hit day at the plate. The Razorback outfielder, who finished Sunday’s contest 3-for-5 with an RBI, raised his season slash line to .323/.421/.516 in eight games on the year.
With the game tied at three apiece entering the bottom half of the ninth, Nolan Souza’s leadoff single set the table for Maxwell’s walk-off heroics.
After Souza’s single, Ryder Helfrick drew a full count walk and Cam Kozeal, who entered as pinch hitter, singled to second base, bringing Wehiwa Aloy to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs.
The Razorback shortstop, who went 1-for-5 to extend his team-leading reached base streak to 11 games, lined out hard to third base, but Maxwell, the very next batter, made sure the opportunity would not go to waste.
He hammered the first pitch he saw into left center, scoring Souza from third to seal Arkansas’ 4-3 series-sweeping win against Charlotte.
Before Maxwell played hero, Razorback starter Landon Beidelschies turned in the team’s first quality start of the season.
The left-hander twirled 6.1 innings of one-run ball, striking out seven while allowing four hits and issuing just one walk.
Kuhio Aloy provided Beidelschies with early run support, collecting RBI single in the third inning to put Arkansas ahead, 1-0.
Aloy finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate, picking up his team-leading fifth multi-hit effort of the year, extending his team-leading hitting streak to eight games and moving his team-leading season slash line to .556/.636/1.185.
Rocco Peppi chipped in an RBI in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly to right, growing the Razorbacks’ advantage to 2-0.
Charlotte’s only damage against Beidelschies came in the seventh on a leadoff solo home run, but Arkansas re-extended its lead to two in the bottom half of the inning when Helfrick scored on a wild pitch.
Coil took over in relief of Beidelschies and worked 1.2 shutout innings with four strikeouts.
In the eighth, the left-hander recorded an immaculate inning with nine pitches and nine strikes for three strikeouts, punching out the first two batters looking on six total pitches before fanning 49ers’ two-hole hitter Dawson Bryce on three pitches — all swinging.
When Coil departed after his immaculate inning, Charlotte broke through Arkansas closer Christian Foutch in the ninth with a pair of runs to knot the game at three.
Veteran Will McEntire emerged from the bullpen, however, to prevent the 49ers from doing more damage, recording three outs, including a strikeout, on nine pitches and earning his first win.
Up next, the Razorbacks embark on their first five-game week of the year.
Arkansas first plays host to ULM for a double midweek on March 4-5 before welcoming in Portland on March 7-9 for the final non-conference weekend series of the regular season at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
