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Arkansas comes from behind to down Southern Cal, take series

Arkansas came back from a three-run deficit in the middle innings and scored six of its eight runs with two outs Friday night to earn a series victory over USC with an 8-6 win at Dedeaux Field.

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LOS ANGELES — Arkansas came back from a three-run deficit in the middle innings and scored six of its eight runs with two outs Friday night to earn a series victory over USC with an 8-6 win at Dedeaux Field.

Sophomore Casey Martin and junior Jack Kenley led the team, offensively, with two hits each. Kenley led all players with a career-high three RBIs, including the important insurance run that was scored by Christian Franklin in the top of the ninth.

Martin notched his second-straight multi-RBI game as he went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. Martin provided one of the biggest hits of the night when he smacked a two-run home run in the fifth inning well over the tall screen beyond the wall at Dedeaux Field.

It was his first home run of the year and put Arkansas ahead 5-4, the final lead change of the night.

On the mound, redshirt junior Isaiah Campbell had another strong outing even though the stat sheet may not show it. Campbell went 5.1 innings and allowed six runs with only three being earned.

The Razorback defense behind him suffered the error bug in the third inning, which led to four USC runs, but Campbell settled back in over the remainder of his outing, striking out three in the fourth and fifth innings.

Campbell moves to 2-0 with the win and has worked at least five innings with five strikeouts in both of his outings.

Junior closer Matt Cronin also picked up his second save in as many days as he pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout on 11 pitches.

Welcome Back Kevin Kopps

Redshirt junior Kevin Kopps made his first appearance since going through Tommmy John surgery a year ago. Kopps, who hadn’t made an official appearance since the postseason of 2017, was the first man out of the bullpen Friday night after Isaiah Campbell was pulled in the sixth inning.

Kopps inherited two runners on base before throwing his first pitch, but went on to throw scoreless seventh and eighth innings to set up the save situation for Matt Cronin. Kopps faced nine batters and gave up three hits on 28 pitches.

Way Out Of Here

Much had been discussed about the West Coast “marine layer” before the Razorbacks traveled to Los Angeles to take on USC.

Well-hit balls that would normally go over the fence don’t travel as well at night along the coast, but that didn’t seem to bother Casey Martin Friday night.

In the fifth inning with Christian Franklin on second, Martin unloaded a 3-1 pitch for his first home run of the year, completing a three-run Razorback comeback to push Arkansas ahead 5-4.

Martin’s home run landed on the other side of the tall screen that sits roughly 20-25 feet beyond the left field fence and was Arkansas’ fifth home run as a team this year.

Kenley Deadly With Two Outs

Infielder Jack Kenley’s first hit of the night started an Arkansas rally in the fourth inning. With USC leading 4-1, Kenley laced a two-run triple down the right field line to make it a one-run game.

It was his first hit of the night and first hit of the weekend as Arkansas used that momentum to score four more runs over the fifth and sixth innings and take the lead.

Kenley did it again in the ninth inning singling home Curtis Washington, Jr., with two outs to provide the needed insurance run and his third RBI of the game.

Razorback Quotables

“Bottom line, we found a way to come back and win the ballgame tonight. It started off well, but we had a bad defensive inning. We left a lot of runners out there, but we got three or four really big two-out hits. Just proud of the team, fighting back to win. It was really good to see (Isaiah) Campbell come back after giving up a few runs in the third and give us two quality innings that really helped us save our bullpen.”  — Coach Dave Van Horn on the series win over USC

“He played great defense and then he got two really big hits, which were both big two-out hits that got us within one in the fourth and in the ninth that doubled our lead. The difference between a two-run lead and a one-run lead going into the bottom of the ninth on the road is huge. It was great to see him swing the bat so well. We’ve seen it in practice and in scrimmages a lot. Now, he’s taken it to the field.”  — Van Horn on Jack Kenley’s two-hit, three RBI night

Up Next

Arkansas and USC will finish its series on Saturday with game three set for 8 p.m. at Dedeaux Field. The game will, once again, be broadcast on PAC-12 Plus.

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2024 Razorbacks Football

Thu, Aug 29vs UAPB (Little Rock)W, 70-0
Sat, Sep 7@ Oklahoma StateL, 31-39 2OT
Sat, Sep 14vs UABW, 37-27
Sat, Sep 21@ AuburnW, 24-14
Sat, Sep 28vs Texas A&M (Arl)L, 21-17
Sat, Oct 5vs TennesseeW, 19-14
Sat, Oct 19vs LSUL, 34-10
Sat, Oct 26@ Mississippi StateW, 58-25
Sat, Nov 2vs Ole MissL, 63-35
Sat, Nov 16vs Texas11:00 AM
Sat, Nov 23vs Louisiana TechTBD
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Sat, Nov 30@ MissouriTBD
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2024 High School Rankings

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll:
OVERALLRecordPtsPrv
1.Bryant (18)8-02521
2.Conway (6)8-02302
3.Greenwood (2)8-02103
4.Little Rock Parkview7-11714
5.Bentonville5-31416
6.Benton7-11265
7.Fayetteville6-21008
8.Pulaski Academy6-2757
9.Rogers5-3459
10.Shiloh Christian6-24010
Others receiving votes: Marion 13, Valley View 9, Joe T Robinson 8, Mountain Home 4, Cabot 3, Elkins 3.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (20)8-01241
2.Conway (6)8-01052
3.Bentonville5-3753
4.Fayetteville6-2455
5.Pulaski Academy6-2354
Others receiving votes: Rogers 5.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (26)8-01301
2.Benton7-11022
3.Shiloh Christian6-2713
4.Marion7-1524
5.Mountain Home7-131
Others receiving votes: Little Rock Catholic 4.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (23)7-11271
2.Joe T Robinson7-1902
3.Valley View (3)8-0803
4.Hot Springs Lakeside7-1484
5.Farmington7-130
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 4, Maumelle 4, Morrilton 3, Greenbrier 2, Harding Academy 1.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (19)8-01161
2.Arkadelphia (5)6-2792
3.Little Rock Mills (1)8-0703
4.Warren6-2404
5.Malvern (1)8-0315
Others receiving votes: Dardanelle 22, Southside Batesville 11, Mena 8, Bauxite 7, DeWitt 4, Highland 2.
CLASS 3A
4.Bismarck (15)8-01054
5.Fordyce (4)8-0765
Prescott (3)7-1531t
1.Osceola (2)6-149
3.Mayflower (1)8-036
Others receiving votes: Booneville (1) 31, Rivercrest 19, Mansfield 14, Charleston 4, Rison 3.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (21)8-01211
2.Conway Christian (4)8-01042
3.Des Arc7-1663
4.Bigelow (1)6-2455
5.Murfreesboro6-230
Others receiving votes: Marked Tree 10, Mineral Springs 6, Junction City 5, Cross County 1, Mount Ida 1, Poyen 1
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (25)5-0761
2.Midland (1)7-0502
3.Cedar Ridge7-1253
Others receiving votes: Rector 5.

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ESPN ARKANSAS 99.5 IN FAYETTEVILLE, 95.3 IN THE RIVER VALLEY, 96.3 IN HOT SPRINGS, 104.3 IN HARRISON-MOUNTAIN HOME.