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Hogs top Pokes 7-3, advance to Super Regional

Two-out hitting and lockdown pitching lifted the Razorbacks to a 7-3 victory over No. 7 Oklahoma State and a spot in the super regional round.

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STILLWATER, Okla. — With the bases loaded, one out and a two-run lead in the eighth inning Monday night, Arkansas freshman left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith was in trouble.

Two strikeouts later, all the momentum was in the Razorbacks’ dugout, and they carried it to a 7-3 victory over Oklahoma State to clinch the Stillwater Regional and a fourth consecutive appearance in the super regional round.

Oklahoma State right-handed pitcher Ryan Bogusz and Arkansas junior lefty Zack Morris exchanged three scoreless innings to begin the contest. It was senior designated hitter Brady Slavens who busted the deadlock with a leadoff homer in the fourth.

The Razorbacks made the Cowboys pay for a walk and a hit batter with a pair of two-out knocks later in the frame. Senior shortstop Jalen Battles notched two RBIs with his single to left, and he advanced to second on the throw home.

That set him up to score on freshman first baseman Peyton Stovall’s seventh single of the regional.

The two squads traded runs in the sixth to make it 5-1. The Hogs picked up an unearned run on Stovall’s second RBI knock in as many at-bats.

Battles walked and moved into scoring position on an errant pickoff attempt, giving Stovall the chance to drive him in, but Oklahoma State first baseman David Mendham took senior righty Kole Ramage deep in the bottom of the inning to get the run back.

After 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball, Ramage hit a wall in the seventh, surrendering a pair of singles and a ground-rule double to make it 5-2.

Senior right-hander Zebulon Vermillion came on with two runners in scoring position and the tying run at the plate with nobody out, and he limited the damage to a sacrifice fly.

Vermillion surrendered a leadoff single to begin the eighth, prompting the change to Smith. After a hit batter, a 5-6 fielder’s choice and a walk, he faced a bases-loaded jam.

Smith fanned nine-hole hitter Chase Adkison, only to face the red-hot Roc Riggio at the top of the order. Riggio went down on strikes as well, and a very fired-up Smith went back to the dugout with the two-run lead intact.

Michael Turner (Walt Beazley / Arkansas Communications)

Graduate catcher Michael Turner gave the Razorbacks a four-run cushion with his two-out, two-run double to right field in the ninth. The RBIs were his 10th and 11th of the NCAA Tournament, and he earned Stillwater Regional Most Outstanding Player honors for his eight-hit performance.

Smith polished off his two-inning save with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth, and Arkansas moved on to its fourth straight super regional.

The Hogs are scheduled to meet the No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill later this week. The first game will be played Friday or Saturday, and the winner of the best-of-three super regional will head to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series.

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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, 63-31
Sat, Nov 16vs TexasL, 20-10
Sat, Nov 23vs Louisiana Tech3:00 PM
ESPN+/SECN+
Sat, Nov 30@ Missouri2:30 PM
SEC Network
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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 (25)10-02681
2.Greenwood (2)10-02343
30Conway9-12022
4.Little Rock Parkview9-11714
5.Bentonville7-31625
6.Benton9-11486
7.Fayetteville8-21117
8.Pulaski Academy8-2898
9.Rogers7-3439
10.Joe T. Robinson9-122
Others receiving votes: Valley View 8, Mountain Home 7, Cabot 6, Little Rock Catholic 6, Shiloh Christian 6, Elkins 1, Farmington 1.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (27)10-01351
2.Conway9-11022
3.Bentonville7-3813
4.Fayetteville8-2454
5.Pulaski Academy8-2395
Others receiving votes: Rogers 3.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (27)10-01351
2.Benton9-11082
3.Mountain Home8-2623
4.Shiloh Christian7-3494
5.Little Rock Catholic9-1345
Others receiving votes: Marion 6.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (27)9-11351
2.Joe T. Robinson9-11062
3.Valley View10-0793
4.Farmington9-1484
5.Hot Springs Lakeside8-2205
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 7, Harding Academy 7, Morrilton 3.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (20)10-01261
3.Arkadelphia (5)8-2913
2.Little Rock Mills (1)10-0682
4.Warren8-2554
5.Dardanell (1)9-123
Southside Batesville10-023
Others receiving votes: Malvern 12, Gravette 5, Highland 2.
CLASS 3A
1.Bismarck (12)10-01051t
2.Fordyce (10)10-0961t
3.Prescott (1)9-1704
4.Osceola (2)8-1543
5.Booneville (1)9-1395
Others receiving votes: Mansfield (1) 23, Rivercrest 10, Rison 4, Salem 4.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (20)10-01271
2.Conway Christian (7)10-01152
3.Des Arc8-2595
4.East Poinsett Co.7-352
5.Bigelow6-4183
Murfreesboro7-3184
Others receiving votes: Mount Ida 6, Junction City 4, Cross County 3, Poyen 3.
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (27)5-0811
2.Midland9-0532
3.Cedar Ridge8-1253
Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3.

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