GAINESVILLE, Fla. — No. 5 Arkansas (36-8, 13-6 SEC) bashed three homers, including Wehiwa Aloy’s team-leading 17th blast, but were handed a 6-4 series-opening loss against Florida (29-15, 7-12 SEC) Friday at Condron Family Ballpark.
The Razorbacks, who have not won a series in Gainesville, Fla., since 2012, will look to even things up tomorrow afternoon.
First pitch in game two between Arkansas and Florida is 2 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network.
Aloy’s one-out solo shot in the top of the first helped the Hogs jump out to a quick 1-0 lead.
The Razorbacks’ superstar shortstop, who finished the night 1-for-4 with his seventh home run in his last 10 games played, improved his team-leading slash line to .376/.455/.742 with 17 homers and 49 runs batted in through 44 games this season.
Cam Kozeal’s leadoff shot, his ninth of the season, in the top of the second extended Arkansas’ advantage to 2-0.
Pitching with a two-run lead, starter Zach Root was burned by a three-base error on his failed pickoff with two outs in the bottom half of the second inning, which allowed Florida to cut its deficit to one without putting the ball in play.
Root, who took the loss, would ultimately toss 4.1 innings with eight strikeouts, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks.
The biggest blow came in the fifth on a three-run homer against right-hander Dylan Carter, who inherited a pair of runners when he took over on the mound in relief of Root, to put the Gators ahead, 6-2.
Carter (2.0 IP, 1 R, 2 SO) and Christina Foutch (1.2 IP, 2 SO) combined for 3.2 innings of one-run ball and four strikeouts in relief of Root to give the offense an opportunity to fight its way back into the ballgame.
Justin Thomas Jr. connected on his seventh homer of the season in the bottom of the seventh, hitting a two-run shot to cut Florida’s edge to two.
The two-run deficit, however, would be as close as Arkansas would get.
The Gator pitching staff, led by starter Liam Peterson’s career-high 13 punchouts, combined to strike out 16 Razorback batters in Friday night’s series opener.
