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Nobody wanted a game Monday, but that’s what Hogs have

The Hogs were out-played by Nebraska in a 5-3 loss Sunday night and Dave Van Horn knows they’ve got to start hitting or season ends Monday.

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Arkansas’ inconsistency at the plate finally caught up with Dave Van Horn’s team Sunday night and now they have a win-or-end game Monday night.

“We haven’t swing the bats well this whole weekend,” he said after the 5-3 loss to Nebraska that sets up a regional final Monday at 6 p.m.

The winner goes to a Super Regional. The loser goes home.

“We just have to be better,” Van Horn said.

After falling behind by a run in the first, the Razorbacks used two singles, an error and a wild pitch to score three times in the top of the third.

The Hogs blew that two-run lead when the offense struggled to produce against Huskers reliever Spencer Schwellenbach, who started the game at shortstop then came on in the fifth to pitch.

Arkansas couldn’t get a run after that.

All five of Nebraska’s runs came against Arkansas starter Lael Lockhart, who allowed four earned while striking out five in 4.1 innings. A throwing error in the bottom of the third led to the first of four unanswered runs, helping the Cornhuskers chip away at the Razorbacks’ lead.

Ryan Costeiu and Connor Noland followed Lockhart out of the bullpen, combining for five strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief work. Noland faced the minimum in two innings, retiring the Nebraska side in order in the bottom of the seventh.

“They just out-played us,” Van Horn said. “It was just sloppy at times.”

Nebraska didn’t use a lot of pitching in down NJIT 18-4 earlier on Sunday and just two pitchers against the Hogs.

Van Horn didn’t bring Kevin Kopps in, so he may actually be ready for some work Monday.

Connor Noland came on in relief and got a previous bad outing out of his system, working the final two innings, giving up just a single hit and walking nobody.

After the game, he said the Hogs’ pitching staff was ready to do it with guts Monday if necessary.

“Every pitcher on that staff has something left in the tank,” he said. “We all want to be out there and we’ll do anything to win the game.”

Hog fans have been making reservations in Omaha, but they now will have to sweat out an elimination game against a Nebraska team that was Big 10 champions that is in a position to pull off the biggest upset in the regionals.

If nothing else, though, this team has shown the ability to shake off a bad game to win a series matchup.

That’s how you go undefeated in series throughout an SEC season.

Now they just have to do it on a bigger stage.

With bigger stakes.

Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.

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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
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Sat, Nov 30@ Missouri2:30 PM
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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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ESPN ARKANSAS 99.5 IN FAYETTEVILLE, 95.3 IN THE RIVER VALLEY, 96.3 IN HOT SPRINGS, 104.3 IN HARRISON-MOUNTAIN HOME.