Arkansas battled until the final out Friday afternoon but came up short in a 4-3 loss to UT Arlington at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks trailed most of the day and didn’t record a hit until late against Mavericks starter Caylon Dygert, who turned in a strong outing on the mound.
The Hogs finally broke through in the ninth inning, scoring three runs and bringing the tying run into scoring position before the rally ended.
Arkansas fell to 7-3 on the season after the tight contest, while UT Arlington grabbed momentum in the opening game of the weekend series.
The Razorbacks had trouble solving Dygert early as he mixed pitches and kept hitters off balance through the middle innings.
The Hogs managed only limited traffic on the bases before the final frame, as Dygert worked deep into the game and piled up strikeouts.
Arkansas starter Gabe Gaeckle kept his team within reach, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing four runs while striking out five.
The Razorbacks bullpen followed with solid work, as Cole Gibler tossed 3.2 scoreless innings and struck out five to hold the deficit steady.
The Hogs entered the ninth inning trailing 4-0 but still searching for one spark to change the outcome.
Ninth-inning rally falls short
Arkansas began its comeback attempt when Ryder Helfrick reached base with two outs after drawing a walk and benefiting from an error that extended the inning.
The Razorbacks suddenly had life, and the crowd sensed the shift as runners reached scoring position.
Kuhio Aloy stepped in and delivered a two-run double into right-center field, trimming the lead to 4-2 and putting pressure on the Mavericks.
The Hogs weren’t done yet, as Reese Robinett followed with an RBI double to left-center that cut the margin to just one run.
Arkansas now had the tying run standing on second base with two outs and a chance to complete the rally.
The Razorbacks forced a pitching change, hoping to keep the momentum rolling in their favor.
The Hogs made solid contact in the next at-bat, sending a hard ground ball toward third base.
Arkansas saw the ball fielded cleanly and thrown across the diamond for the final out, ending the comeback bid with the tying run stranded.
The Razorbacks had scored three runs in the inning, but the earlier deficit proved too much to overcome.
Pitching duel shapes game
The Hogs struggled most of the afternoon against Dygert, who worked 8.2 innings and struck out 11 batters while allowing only two unearned runs.
Arkansas didn’t record its first hit until late in the game, a sign of how sharp the Mavericks starter was throughout his outing.
The Razorbacks also leaned on strong pitching from Gibler, whose scoreless relief appearance gave the lineup a chance to respond.
The Hogs saw Camden Kozeal post a two-hit day, finishing 2-for-4 to lead the offense.
Arkansas also got key extra-base hits from Aloy and Robinett in the ninth inning, accounting for all three runs.
The Razorbacks’ late push showed resilience, even though the final result didn’t go their way.
The Hogs will now look to regroup quickly as the series continues at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas returns to the field Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. on SEC Network+.
Fans can listen to the game here at HitThatLine.com or on the Razorback Sports Network at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
