Holt’s big day at plate can’t overcome Hogs’ pitching problems

HOOVER, Ala. — Peyton Holt’s first career multi-homer game was not enough to power No. 5 Arkansas (43-14) past No. 2 Kentucky (40-13) in a 9-6 elimination-game loss Thursday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in the SEC Tournament.

The Razorback outfielder led the charge offensively, bashing a pair of home runs and matching his career high with four RBI in Thursday’s setback. For the season, Holt is now slashing .309/.409/.468 with six homers and 23 runs batted in.

Working on a pitch count, Razorback ace and SEC Pitcher of the Year Hagen Smith tossed 36 pitches over his two-inning start. The junior left-hander, who was charged with his first loss of the year, struck out four while allowing two unearned runs on two hits and a walk, lowering his nation-leading season ERA to 1.48 and raising his season strikeout total to 154.

Kentucky scored twice in the first inning on a pair of errors before extending its lead to 6-0 with a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth. Arkansas, however, responded with a four-spot in the top half of the sixth, thanks to Wehiwa Aloy’s RBI groundout followed by Holt’s three-run homer – his first of the day – with two outs in the inning.

Aloy collected his team-leading 55th RBI of the season to put the Razorbacks on the board before Holt’s three-run blast cut the deficit to 6-4. Right-hander Brady Tygart made his first relief appearance of the season in the bottom half of the sixth and tossed a scoreless frame before he was tagged by the Wildcats for three runs (one earned) in the seventh.

Trailing by five, Arkansas got one back on Holt’s second homer, which was a one-out solo shot to left in his very next at-bat. Jared Sprague-Lott chipped in with a two-out solo blast in the ninth, but the Razorbacks would come up short, 9-6.

Sprague-Lott was one of three Hogs, including Holt and Stovall (2-for-4), to record multiple hits in Thursday’s game. The senior third baseman, who finished 2-for-5, is slashing .295/.431/.494 with eight homers and 25 RBI on the season.

In relief, Mason Molina also emerged from the bullpen and spun two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Over his last two appearances, the junior left-hander has tossed five scoreless frames with five strikeouts in relief.

Up next, Arkansas, expected to be one of the top eight national seeds in the NCAA Tournament, awaits its postseason fate. The selection show is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, May 27, on ESPN2/ESPNU.

Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.