FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas senior right fielder Brady Slavens did it all Tuesday night at Baum-Walker Stadium, spraying hits to all fields, stealing his first base of the year, flashing leather in a rare appearance in the field and putting an exclamation mark on it all with a two-out, opposite-field grand slam in the seventh inning.
His eighth home run of the season stretched the Razorbacks’ lead over Arkansas State to 10-1, which became the final score.
Junior second baseman Robert Moore opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a two-out, two-run laser beam of a home run, which left the bat at 101 miles per hour with a launch angle of 23 degrees, barely clearing the right field fence.
Graduate catcher Michael Turner, who slotted in at designated hitter Tuesday night, scored on Moore’s fourth four-bagger of the year.
The Red Wolves cut the lead in half in the second, making senior shortstop Jalen Battles pay for a fielding error with two outs. Kole Ramage threw a wild pitch and allowed an RBI single, but that was all Arkansas State could muster in three innings against the senior righty.
The Hogs reestablished their two-run lead in the third, which began with the first of three singles by Slavens.
He advanced to third following a walk and an infield single, and he darted home on a sacrifice fly by sophomore left fielder Jace Bohrofen.
Three consecutive two-out walks turned into two more Arkansas runs in the fifth inning.
With runners on first and second, senior shortstop Jalen Battles drew the first free pass to load the bases, and junior center fielder Zack Gregory and freshman first baseman Peyton Stovall each collected an RBI after watching ball four.
Bohrofen took the seventh free base of the game to lead off the seventh inning, and he scored from first on a perfectly executed hit-and-run with Battles at the bat.
The Red Wolves changed pitchers following Gregory’s third walk of the evening, but right-hander Treshon Paschal did not have the solution to the red-hot Slavens.
With the bases loaded and two outs, he launched a 2-2 pitch 362 feet the other way for a grand slam, his fourth hit and third run of the game.
Senior right-handed pitchers Elijah Trest, sophomore righty Mark Adamiak and freshman lefty Nick Griffin took care of the final six frames without allowing a run.
All three issued multiple walks and flirted with danger, but the Red Wolves stranded all 11 runners who reached against them.
Arkansas and Arkansas State are scheduled to square off again at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The contest will stream live on the SEC Network+.
