Baseball
Hogs need extras to beat Central Arkansas in North Little Rock
After an underwhelming performance through nine innings, the Razorbacks scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 10th Tuesday night.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Neither Arkansas or Central Arkansas could muster much offense Tuesday night, but it was the Razorbacks who came out on top, scoring just the third run of the ballgame on a wild pitch in the 10th inning to win it 2-1 at Dickey-Stephens Park.
With one out in the bottom of the 10th, junior second baseman Robert Moore singled, advanced to second base on a walk, took third on a fielder’s choice, and when ball four got away from catcher Connor Flagg, he crossed the plate to get the Hogs back in the win column.
Arkansas sophomore right-handed pitcher Will McEntire and UCA righty Oliver Laufman traded zeros for the first four innings of the contest.
It was sophomore catcher Dylan Leach, who hit for the cycle the last time the two teams met, who finally delivered a hit with a runner in scoring position. Leach’s single scored senior center fielder Braydon Webb, who led off the bottom of the fifth with a single.
The Bears wasted no time responding, as leadoff hitter Kolby Johnson doubled to left. A couple of productive outs later, the game was tied.
The Hogs had a chance to retake the lead in the seventh, after the first two batters reached base. Freshman first baseman Peyton Stovall moved them to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, but Leach popped out and Moore grounded out, so Arkansas came away empty-handed.
The leadoff batter drew a walk to lead off the home halves of the eighth and ninth innings, but neither time were the Razorbacks able to create a run. Through nine, they were 1-10 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
The leadoff man reached six different times, but five did not score.
After sophomore righty Mark Adamiak walked the leadoff man in the top of the 10th, sophomore righty Heston Tole worked out of that jam to become the pitcher of record. He earned his second win when Moore scored in the bottom of the frame.
The Razorbacks will return to Baum-Walker Stadium for a four-game homestand beginning at 6 p.m. Friday against the Mississippi Rebels. That contest will stream live on the SEC Network+.
