Molina has solid outing, but not enough in loss to James Madison

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Mason Molina struck out nine in his much-anticipated Razorback pitching debut, but No. 3 Arkansas (2-1) fell to James Madison (1-2), 7-3, on a crisp Sunday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The left-hander, who transferred to Arkansas from Texas Tech during the offseason, fanned three in his first inning of work and added six more strikeouts across the second, third and fourth frames. Molina departed the ballgame after completing 3.2 innings on 72 total pitches (45 strikes), allowing two runs on three hits while issuing three walks.

Molina was staked with an early two-run lead, thanks to Ben McLaughlin’s RBI double and Jack Wagner’s RBI single in the bottom half of the first. Arkansas’ 2-0 advantage would hold up until the top of the fourth, when JMU broke through for a pair of runs to end Molina’s day and even the ballgame at two.

The Dukes broke the deadlock in the seventh, scoring four after loading the bases to take a 6-2 lead. Arkansas attempted to mount a rally in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a run on Wehiwa Aloy’s RBI double to cut the deficit to three.

JMU pitcher Joe Vogatsky, however, extinguished the Razorback threat after that. The right-hander earned the win after throwing 80 pitches over 4.1 innings in relief, limiting Arkansas to one run on two hits and three walks.

Aloy (2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI) and Kendall Diggs (2-for-5, 2 2B) each turned in multi-hit games in Sunday’s setback. Eight of the Razorbacks’ nine batters, including true freshman Nolan Souza, recorded at least one base knock in the ballgame.

The Hogs will once again look to clinch their first series win of the season in tomorrow’s finale against the Dukes. First pitch is scheduled for noon Monday, Feb. 19, with true freshman left-hander Colin Fisher set to make his collegiate debut on the mound. To accommodate JMU’s travel, no inning can start after 3 p.m.

Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.