Diamond Hogs outslug Mississippi State, win series opener

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas strung together four two-out hits to take a six-run lead in the second inning en route to an 8-1 victory over Mississippi State on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Senior shortstop Jalen Battles got the party started with one out in the second.

After senior center fielder Braydon Webb led off with a walk, Battles turned on a first-pitch fastball, sending it 420 feet into the Hog Pen.

Graduates Michael Turner and Chris Lanzilli both delivered RBI knocks with two outs to make it 4-0, and junior second baseman Robert Moore drove the catcher and the right fielder in with a triple.

Battles went deep again in the third to make it 7-0, but Mississippi State catcher Logan Tanner got the run right back in the top of the fourth with a solo homer of his own.

It was the Bulldogs’ only run of the game, and one of just four hits allowed by Razorback starter Connor Noland.

The senior right-hander twirled a seven-inning gem, striking out six Bulldogs and walking none as he picked up his fourth win and fourth quality start of the season. After the homer in the fourth, he allowed just one baserunner before the end of his outing.

While Noland was dealing for the Razorbacks, they could not generate any more offensive momentum. They did not record a hit in the middle innings, but they wasted six walks and an error, leaving the bases loaded in both the fourth and the sixth.

After Noland walked off the mound to a standing ovation at the seventh-inning stretch, the Arkansas bats woke up for an insurance run. Sophomore third baseman Cayden Wallace doubled to lead off the frame, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Turner.

Senior right-handed pitcher Zebulon Vermillion was the first Razorback out of the bullpen, and he retired the side in order in the eighth. Senior righty Kole Ramage got the ball for the ninth, and he did the same, icing the victory with a looking strikeout of Tanner.

The Razorbacks and Bulldogs are set to square off again at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Freshman lefty Hagen Smith is expected to start against Mississippi State righty Parker Stinnett.

The game will stream live on the SEC Network+ and the radio broadcast at HitThatLine.com plus you can listen to the game on ESPN Arkansas radio stations.