Lack of big hits end up costing Hogs against Bulldogs

Pitcher Hunter Hollan couldn’t find the plate enough and Arkanss couldn’t get the hits when they needed and now they’re starting the Georgia series in the hole.

A disastrous third inning doomed the Razorbacks and going 3-of-18 with runners in scoring position resulted in a 6-5 loss Thursday night. Hollan walking five people in his five innings didn’t help. Neither did an error that led to a run.

“He was wild,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “He walked five. He was pitching behind in the count a little bit, and they’ve got some good hitters. He’s got to pitch ahead, and he’s got a good fastball, but he uses his off-speed well. They didn’t chase. When that’s the case, you’ve got to throw the ball over the plate.”

Georgia scored five two-out runs against Hollan, highlighted by a three-run home run by Fernando Gonzalez in the fourth inning. Hollan gave up six runs on seven hits and walked five batters.

They couldn’t get enough offense to make up for it.

“We’ve been pretty good this year at, maybe not getting the super big hit, but moving people over and then getting them in, scoring a run here or there,” Van Horn said later.  “We didn’t do that tonight. Tonight was all or nothing, it seemed like. I guess you can credit their pitching staff for doing a good job, but we didn’t look like our normal self tonight.”

Dylan Carter came out of the bullpen in the loss with 2.2 scoreless innings while striking out a pair before turning it over to freshman Christian Foutch, who induced a one-pitch flyout to end the eighth inning.

Tavian Josenberger worked a leadoff walk and Peyton Stovall drove him in with a double to the gap in right-center field. With two outs, Ben McLaughlin ripped an RBI single to right field to score Stovall and make it a 2-0 game. The Bulldogs loaded the bases against Hollan in the bottom half, but his 20th pitch resulted in an inning-ending groundout to escape the jam.

The Hogs cut into the lead with a pair of hits in the sixth inning. Kendall Diggs (who also robbed Georgia of a homer with a leaping catch) started the inning with a double to left field, Ben McLaughlin followed with his second hit of the day before Cali’s sacrifice fly made it a 6-3 game. Dylan Carter entered to pitch for the Hogs in the bottom half and retired the Bulldogs in order with a strikeout, a fly-out and a ground-out.

In the ninth, the Hogs made it exciting when Kendall Diggs delivered an RBI double bringing in Jace Bohrofen to cut the lead to 6-5, which made the eighth inning more frustrating after striking out twice with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

The second game of the series. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.  and will be streamed on SEC Network+.