Arkansas wasn’t going to let this one slip away.
Trailing No. 8 Alabama through the middle innings in Tuscaloosa, the Hogs caught fire at the plate in the late innings and didn’t stop swinging until the final out.
By the time the dust settled, Arkansas had put together one of its most productive offensive games of the SEC season, winning in dominant style to clinch the series over the Crimson Tide.
The final score was 15-6, and it wasn’t as close as that sounds.
Clinching this series moved the Razorbacks back to .500 in SEC play and gave the program a road series win it can build on heading into the rest of the year.
The Hogs also picked up 11 spots in the RPI heading into the game, moving into the top 50. a sign they are trending in the right direction.
Gibler Makes History on the Mound
To get this win, Arkansas turned to lefthander Cole Gibler, who entered with a 3-0 record and a 2.57 ERA.
What made the start even more notable was that it was Gibler’s first career start. He’d been used in other roles before, but Saturday marked a new chapter for the lefty.
Alabama countered with Zane Adams, a lefthander with a 4-2 record and a 4.07 ERA. Adams had previously faced the Razorbacks in 2024, throwing a career-high eight scoreless innings while striking out five in that outing.
The Crimson Tide got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning when Justin Lebron stole his way into scoring position and then scored on a throwing error by the Hogs’ catcher, putting Alabama ahead 1-0 before the Hogs had even batted.
Arkansas tied it up in the third inning when Maika Niu grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded and two outs, allowing Carter Rutenbar to score and knot the game at 1-1.
That momentum didn’t last long, as Alabama pushed ahead again in the third and fourth innings to build a 3-1 lead.
Razorbacks Battle Back to Take the Lead
The Hogs weren’t done. In the top of the fifth inning, Carter Rutenbar singled to center to score Nolan Souza and cut the deficit to one run.
Then things got wild.
TJ Pompey stole third and scored on a throwing error by the Alabama catcher to tie the game at 3-3. Ryder Helfrick then flew out to center to bring home Rutenbar and give Arkansas a 4-3 lead heading into the sixth.
Alabama answered in the bottom of the sixth when a fly ball from Bryce Fowler scored Justin Osterhouse to tie things up at 4-4.
At that point it felt like anyone’s game. It wasn’t going to stay that way for long.
Steele Eaves came on in relief of Gibler in the fifth inning, and Colin Fisher then took over in the seventh before the bullpen handed things off later in the game.
The Razorbacks’ pitching kept Alabama off the board long enough for the offense to blow the game open.
Pompey’s Grand Moment in the Eighth
The floodgates opened in the eighth inning. Camden Kozeal doubled to lead off the frame, and Damian Ruiz singled to center to score him and give Arkansas a 6-4 lead.
After Kuhio Aloy singled and Reese Robinett laid down a bunt single to load the bases, Souza flew out to center to score Ruiz and make it 7-4.
Then Pompey stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and launched a home run to left field, scoring Aloy and Robinett and blowing the game open at 10-4. That three-run blast off Austin Morris was the swing that put the game out of reach.
The Hogs weren’t finished. In the top of the ninth, Aloy singled to center to score Niu and push the lead to 11-5.
Souza then singled to right to score Ruiz and Aloy, stretching the advantage to 13-5.
Pompey added another RBI single to center to make it 14-5 and a fielder’s choice by Christian Turner brought home another run to cap a five-run ninth and set the final score at 15-5 before Alabama scored once more in the bottom half to make it 15-6.
Alexander Peck also made just his second career start, playing first base.
It was his first appearance in the starting lineup since the third game of the season against Texas Tech.
Reese Robinett replaced Peck at first base in the sixth inning and went on to play a role in the late-inning rally.
Series Win Carries Real Weight
This wasn’t just a feel-good win on the road. Clinching the series over a top-10 Alabama team while coming into the game 6-7 in SEC play is a meaningful result for the Razorbacks.
Getting back to .500 in conference play keeps Arkansas in the conversation for postseason positioning and the jump in the RPI adds to that.
