Sometimes baseball is loud. Sometimes it’s quiet.
On Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium, it was quiet for Xavier and steady for Arkansas.
Colin Fisher stood on the mound and worked with calm focus. The left-hander threw a complete-game one-hit shutout as the Hogs beat the Musketeers 11-0 in eight innings.
The win finished a three-game sweep for the Razorbacks. It also pushed Arkansas to 6-1 on the season and extended a long run of home weekend success.
Fisher struck out a career-high 11 batters. He allowed just one hit, an infield single in the second inning.
After that, the Arkansas pitcher retired 20 straight hitters. There were no rallies. No late threats. Just clean innings.
By the end, the Hogs had what is believed to be the first eight-inning complete-game shutout and eight-inning one-hitter in program history.
While Fisher handled the mound, the Razorbacks handled the bats. They scored early and often.
Arkansas has now won five straight games. The program hasn’t lost or tied a non-conference weekend series at home since 2014.
Early Runs, Steady Control
The tone was set in the first inning. Camden Kozeal drove in a run with a single to get things started.
Reese Robinett followed with a two-run double. Just like that, the Razorbacks had a 3-0 lead.
In the second inning, Zack Stewart added to it. He hit his first home run as a Hog, the 45th of his college career.
Later in the inning, Ryder Helfrick ripped an RBI double. The lead grew to 5-0 before Xavier could settle in.
Meanwhile, Fisher kept pounding the strike zone. He worked ahead in counts and mixed his pitches well.
The Musketeers’ only hit came on a soft infield play. After that, every ball off the bat found a glove or a strikeout.
The Hogs’ defense stayed sharp behind their starter. There were no extra chances given away.
By the fourth inning, Arkansas was in control on both sides of the game.
Helfrick added more damage in that fourth inning. He launched his fourth home run of the season to extend the lead.
Power Late, Sweep Complete
Helfrick finished 2-for-4 with two extra-base hits and three RBI. He has been one of the Razorbacks’ early season standouts.
Kozeal has been just as steady. Through seven games, he entered Sunday slashing .385/.515/.962 with four home runs and a team-leading 10 RBI.
His hit total leads the team, and he shares the home run lead with Helfrick.
In the eighth inning, the Hogs made sure there would be no long finish.
Nolan Souza opened the frame with a single. Carter Rutenbar followed with a pinch-hit walk.
Kozeal stepped in again and delivered an RBI single to make it 8-0.
Then Kuhio Aloy came to the plate with runners on. He drove a three-run home run to center field.
The blast pushed the score to 11-0 and ended the game by run rule.
It was Aloy’s second game-winning hit in as many days. It also sealed the sweep in firm fashion.
Fisher returned to the mound for the eighth and closed it out himself. Eight innings. One hit. Eleven strikeouts.
There was no need for bullpen help. The left-hander handled it start to finish.
Arkansas has now won 33 straight non-conference weekend series at home. That kind of run doesn’t happen by chance.
It happens when pitching shows up and the lineup produces up and down the order.
On Sunday, the Razorbacks got both.
The Hogs now turn their attention to Arkansas State. The teams will meet in a doubleheader at Baum-Walker Stadium on Tuesday, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. on SEC Network+.
For now, Arkansas baseball can look back on a weekend that checked every box. Strong starting pitching. Timely hits. Clean defense.
Fisher’s outing will be the headline, and it should be. One-hit shutouts aren’t common in college baseball.
But the bigger story might be balance. The Razorbacks didn’t rely on one swing or one inning.
They scored in bunches early. They added insurance late. They played steady behind their ace.
