Pitcher Jake Reindl got the win on the mound, Heston Kjerstad delivered the walk-off winning hit and Eric Cole got the offense going as the Hogs sweep Auburn.
Hogs split Sunday doubleheader at South Carolina for win No. 600
The victory doubled as the 600th in program history and handed the Gamecocks their first home loss of the season.
The teams ended up splitting the twin bill with South Carolina rallying to win the second game of the day.
Up Next
The Razorbacks’ road trip continues Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader at Saint Louis. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 2 p.m. at the Billiken Sports Center on the SLU campus.
Arkansas (29-8, 6-6 SEC) holds a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series including a 5-2 win last season at Saint Louis.
The team return to Bogle Park next weekend (April 13-15) to host No. 15 Alabama.
The Razorbacks struck early with four runs in the top of top of the first inning. After a one-out double off the bat of freshman Hannah McEwen and back-to-back walks to Katie Warrick and Tori Cooper, the bases were loaded.
Freshman Kayla Green responded with an RBI single and senior A.J. Belans followed with a two-run single up the middle to give Arkansas the 3-0 advantage.
Senior Loren Krzysko picked up the final RBI with a foul out that allowed Green to score from third.
Haff was in control from the circle, retiring 18 of the first 19 she faced with the only blip coming when she plunked the second hitter of the second inning.
After the HBP, Haff retired 14 in a row before giving up a lead-off base hit in the seventh inning.
The Winter Haven, Fla., native shook it off by retiring the next three including a strikeout—just her second of the game—to secure the win.
After its outburst in the first inning, the offense was held to just two hits for the remainder of the game but managed a threat in the fifth inning after singles by Hannah McEwen and Warrick to lead off the frame.
Cooper continued the inning by drawing a walk to load the bases but South Carolina reliever Kelsey Oh struck out the next three hitters to get out of the jam.
Haff’s outing marks her fifth one-hit performance of the season as a starter and her first during SEC play. Her 17th wins ties the sixth most in a single season, pulling equal with the 2009 campaign by Miranda Dixon.
Similar to game one of Sunday’s doubleheader, the Razorbacks got a quick start and pushed a run across the plate in the first inning.
Warrick registered the first hit with a double to right center and Cooper plated the first run with an RBI double to left center.
Arkansas went on to load the bases later in the inning but a ground ball to third limited the scoring to one.
After going quietly in the second, the offense generated another run in the third frame. McEwen led off with a single through the left side and after walks to Warrick and Green, the bases were loaded with one down.
Sophomore Aly Manzo delivered a two-out single to left field to score McEwen from third and push the Razorbacks’ lead to 2-0, a score that stood until the sixth frame.
Arkansas had a runner in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings but weren’t able to pad their advantage heading into the home half of the sixth inning.
Held off the scoreboard for the first 12 innings of Sunday’s doubleheader, South Carolina broke through and with the help of two home runs, the Gamecocks posted a six spot to take the lead and secured the win with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.
Hogs keep it close, but fall at Auburn on Sunday
AUBURN, Ala. — Arkansas fell to the Auburn, 4-3, on Sunday in its final regular season road match.
Arkansas’ start was promising. For just the second time in conference action and the first since the SEC opener, the Razorbacks opened the match winning doubles.
Auburn held the early advantage as Tad Maclean and Olle Thestrup defeated Jose Salazar and Pedro Alonso 6-4 on court two.
Arkansas’ Josh Howard-Tripp and Jose Alonso defeated Deigo Chavarria and Brandon Laubser 6-2 to even things, before No. 88 Oscar Mesquida and Adam Sanjurjo clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Carles Sarrio and Matteo De Vincentis.
In singles, Arkansas would quickly stretch its lead to 2-0, as No. 38 Salazar picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win over Edward Nguyen at the top spot.
Salazar has now won seven of his last eight matches to improve to a team-best 22-10 mark overall this season, including 16-6 this spring.
Auburn proceeded to take three straight courts to take a 3-2 lead.
Jose Alonso fell 6-2, 6-2 to Laubser on court six, followed by Sanjurjo falling 6-3, 6-4 on court two to No. 100 De Vincentis to even the match at 2-2.
Auburn’s first lead came with a win on court four, as Sarrio defeated Howard-Tripp 6-4, 6-4.
The Razorbacks would respond however, as Mesquida defeated Thestrup in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to even the match back up at 3-3. Maclean would take the third set to clinch the win for Auburn, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
The match came down to court five, where Pedro Alonso forced a third set with Maclean.
Auburn 4, Arkansas 3
Singles Results – Order of finish (1,6,2,4,3,5)
1. #38 Jose Salazar (AR) def. Edward Nguyen (AU) 6-1, 6-1
2. #100 Matteo De Vincentis (AU) def. Adam Sanjurjo (AR) 6-3, 6-4
3. Oscar Mesquida (AR) def. Olle Thestrup (AU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
4. Carles Sarrio (AU) def. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 6-4, 6-4
5. Tad Maclean (AU) def. Pedro Alonso (AR) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
6. Brandon Laubser (AU) def. Jose Alonso (AR) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles Results – Order of finish (2,3,1)
1. #88 Oscar Mesquida/Adam Sanjurjo (AR) def. Carles Sarrio/Matteo De Vincentis (AU) 6-3
2. Tad Maclean/Olle Thestrup (AU) def. Jose Salazar/Pedro Alonso (AR) 6-4
3. Josh Howard-Tripp/Jose Alonso (AR) def. Diego Chavarria/Brandon Laubser (AU) 6-2
Arkansas finishes regular season in Texas at Aggie Invitational
BRYAN, Texas — Arkansas saved its best round of the weekend for Sunday, firing a 2-over 290 to finish in eighth place at the Aggie Invitational at Traditions Club.
For the fourth straight tournament, the Razorbacks have knocked off at least one top 25 team, this time defeating No. 6 Texas Tech by 13 shots.
Top-ranked Oklahoma State (+5) cruised to a 7-shot win, followed by No. 25 Kent State (+12), No. 12 LSU (+18), No. 2 Texas A&M (+18) and No. 8 Alabama (+19).
For the weekend, Arkansas posted rounds of 312-296-290 – 898 (+34), improving by 16 shots from the first round to the second round, and six more strokes on the final day.
The Razorbacks enter postseason play with a head-to-head record of 100-41-2 for the year, including a 55-30-2 mark for the spring.
Sophomore William Buhl recorded the team’s only round under par on Sunday, carding a 2-under 70 that featured eight birdies.
He rolled in four birdies on the front nine and then registered four consecutive birdies on the back side to finish T-15th 0verall and record his fifth top-15 performance of the year.
Tyson Reeder used an even-par 72 on Sunday, including shooting 4-under on the final nine holes to finish T-28th overall at 9-over.
Alvaro Ortiz finished one shot back of Reeder and tied for 33rd place overall and Mason Overstreet finished T-45th place overall, while Luis Garza (T-45) and Landon Ernst (T-75) rounded out the team.
The Razorbacks return to action April 25-29 at the 2018 SEC Championship at Sea Island Golf Club.
The event will feature three rounds of stroke play, followed by the top eight teams advancing to match play to determine a champion.
Auburn slips past Razorbacks, 4-3, in Sunday matches
FAYETTEVILLE — No. 17 Auburn held off Arkansas 4-3 on the Razorbacks’ Senior Day on Sunday at George M. Billingsley Tennis Center.
The match came down to the final set at the top spot, where the Tigers (18-9, 6-5 SEC) pulled out a three-set win.
“It was another great match on Senior Day, much like last year, a third-set decider,” Arkansas coach Michael Hegarty said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the efforts across the board today against a great Auburn squad. Both seniors Mia (Jurasic) and Peyton (Jennings) have represented Arkansas in first-class fashion and will no doubt do so in the years to come.”
The Razorbacks (6-14, 2-9 SEC) started strong, clinching the doubles point with wins at the top two spots.
Martina Zerulo and Tatum Rice struck first with a 6-4 win at No. 2, before Auburn won at No. 3. Giulia Pairone and Mia Jurasic delivered the clinch, winning a tiebreaker 7-3 at No. 1.
In singles, Natsuho Arakawa gave the Razorbacks a 2-0 lead when she earned a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 3. Auburn responded by winning matches at the No. 2 and 4 positions to level the score 2-2.
Zerulo reclaimed the lead for Arkansas with her 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 6. But the Tigers won the final two matches at the No. 5 and 1 spots for the team victory.
Up Next
Arkansas will hit the road for its final two matches of the regular season. The Razorbacks will play No. 7 Georgia at 5 p.m. on April 12 before taking on No. 31 Tennessee at 11 a.m. on April 14.
Incorrect ruling highlights rough Saturday night for umps
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ 13-2 win over Auburn on Saturday night wasn’t really ever close, but it was a rough night for the umpires.
Third base umpire Jeff Head let two Arkansas runners advance in the first inning when he ruled that Auburn third baseman Josh Anthony intentionally dropped a bunt that was popped up by the Razorbacks’ Casey Martin.
Anthony picked up the ball, stepped on third and threw to second for an attempted double play.
Confusion ensued.
Head told the base runners, Jax Biggers and Eric Cole, to advance when they should have been told to stay at their respective bases, said Paul Guilli, the SEC’s coordinator of umpires.
“Intentionally dropped ball was called, however they misapplied the rule,” Guilli said in a statement that was read in the pressbox by an Arkansas spokesperson. “Runners should have returned.”
Arkansas’ Luke Bonfield singled in the next at-bat to score both runners, but only Biggers would have been in position to score had the drop rule been applied correctly.
Head, a veteran umpire who worked the College World Series last season, served as the crew chief and had a rough night.
He was summoned to the replay booth three times and overturned a pair of calls, both involving Arkansas hitters who were incorrectly ruled out at first base. The overturned calls led to Arkansas runs in the third and sixth innings.
“Bottom line, you’re supposed to try to get the call right and the umpires have been great about it, to be honest with you,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “It’s worked out. We’ve been wrong and we’ve asked for a couple things that haven’t happened. A couple got changed tonight and helped us score a couple of extra runs.
“The umpires have been real professional. They just want to get the call right.”
A foul ball by Bonfield in the second inning was upheld after replay checked to see whether it hit the foul pole for a home run.
The SEC is using replay on an experimental basis this season. The replay rules allow coaches two challenges each game, and various plays can be initiated by umpires during the game.
Hogs wheel, deal way to win, clinching series with Auburn
The Hogs scored eight runs over the first three innings and cruised to a 13-2 win over the Tigers, locking up its second conference series of the season.
Arkansas (23-9, 7-4 SEC) will have a chance to lock up its second sweep of the Southeastern Conference season tomorrow when it faces Auburn (23-9, 4-7 SEC) one more time for the series finale.
First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised on the SEC Network.
The Razorback offense needed only two innings to drive Auburn starting pitcher Davis Daniel out of the game.
The Hogs scored four runs on four hits off Daniel, three of those hits coming in the first inning.
After the Tigers went to the bullpen, Arkansas plated four more in the third, two from singles, one from a sacrifice fly, and one from a bases-loaded walk to build up its 8-0 lead.
Eric Cole and Dominic Fletcher each turned in three-hit games to lead all Razorbacks. Cole drove in two, both off singles in the third and eighth innings.
He, along with Luke Bonfield and Jordan McFarland each tallied two RBIs in the game, while Jax Biggers drove in three, but none on a base hit. Two sacrifice flies and a bases loaded walk gave Biggers his second highest RBI total in a game this year.
On the mound, lefty pitcher Kacey Murphy locked up his fourth victory of the year after working a strong seven innings with just two earned runs allowed, both off solo home runs.
He scattered five hits and struck out a season-high seven batters on 105 pitches. Saturday’s start was Murphy’s fourth appearance this year that lasted six or more innings.
The Hitting
The Razorbacks totaled 17 hits in the game Saturday night, their fifth game this season of 15 or more and third in SEC play.
Five different players recorded two or more hits, their most in a game since March 29 in the 6-4 win over No. 4 Ole Miss.
Bonfield’s two-hit performance was his first multi-hit performance since going 3-for-4 against No. 4 Kentucky on March 17.
His two-RBI single in the first got the scoring started for the Hogs. He later doubled down the left field line in the sixth to start another rally that led to a three-run frame. His double was his eighth of the year, good for second on the team.
Along with Bonfield’s double, Grant Koch, Dominic Fletcher, and Carson Shaddy each had two-baggers in the game. It was the sixth time this year that Arkansas had totaled four or more doubles.
The Pitching
Arkansas was able to lock up the series with Auburn behind stellar pitching from Murphy, who has been steady throughout the year, allowing no more than three earned runs in any appearance.
Including tonight, the Rogers native has struck out 29 batters over 34.2 innings and has whittled his ERA down to 2.31.
With Murphy’s ERA and Blaine Knight’s 1.93 ERA, the Hogs are the only team in the SEC with two pitchers holding an ERA at 2.35 or lower.
Junior Barrett Loseke finished off the game’s final two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out one in his ninth appearance of the year.
Loseke has yet to allow more than two earned runs in a single outing this year.
Razorback Quotables
“Kacey wasn’t as sharp as he normally is. You can blame it on the cold weather or the temperature, but it was good that he battled through. For him to give us seven innings, that’s what we needed. He went out and did really well in the sixth and seventh. He’d tell you he’s been sharper. He didn’t really have command of his breaking ball, but he came up with some big pitches. He gave up a couple of big flies, but he pitches to contact. He’s not trying to strike too many out.” — Dave Van Horn on Kacey Murphy’s seven-inning performance
“It was real nice. We talked about that after the game and last night. We hadn’t won game two in a while, especially on an SEC weekend. We needed to find a way to win today and they came out and did it.” — Van Horn on locking up a series victory before game three
“Long innings, it was pretty tough, but once you’re out there, you stay pretty warm. You’ve got to fight through it, that’s all. I worked through it and tried to shorten my stride a little bit and adjust like coach (Wes) Johnson was telling me, but I kind of went to the changeup as my primary off speed” — Kacey Murphy on pitching in cold weather
“I think it’s just confidence. It’s funny what gets you going. I think I hit a foul homerun at Ole Miss my second to last at-bat there and I kind of found my swing on that one and it wasn’t even a hit. Baseball’s a game where it comes and goes, you know you don’t have control of things. You can hit the ball hard and right at someone. I just stuck with my approach and preparation before games. I’ve been in this league for four years now. I know I’m a good hitter and everything and it would just come back eventually.” — Luke Bonfield on working through a slump in past weeks
Up Next
The Razorbacks and Tigers will face off for the series finale on Sunday at Baum Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
It will be televised on the SEC Network with Roy Philpott and Todd Walker calling the action.
Hogs deliver what Morris promised for Red-White game
Chad Morris said it last week, but nobody really wanted to listen.
“We’ll be pretty vanilla,” he said in Thursday’s press conference about what to expect from Arkansas’ offense in the Red-White game in Little Rock on Saturday.
That’s exactly what was delivered.
For accuracy purposes, the offense beat the defense, 27-25. In one of these games, the score is almost meaningless considering the way they are scored tends to fluctuate.
No, those expecting to see offensive fireworks are going to have to wait until September 1 against Eastern Illinois. It wasn’t happening Saturday in front of an intimate (estimated) gathering of 7,000 hardy folks braving the miserable weather.
“I wish it was raining or snowing harder, that’s what it’s all about,” Morris said later.
There’s an old-school touch to Morris and he embraces it. You get the idea he wouldn’t complain about a good ol’ muddy field in bad conditions.
He held up the postgame press conference for a few minutes while he visited with some of the fans. As small as the crowd was he almost could have visited with every one of them personally.
“It was important for me to show my appreciation to our fans here today,” he said, apologizing the media for being a little tardy. “Your energy and passion was felt. Our team had a chance to spend some time out there with them.”
The weather was part of the story. Some of the fans were expecting all sorts of bells and whistles offensively, but that was never going to happen.
“We stayed healthy today,” Morris said. “When you can line them up at the end and they’re all still walking, you’ve had a successful day.”
No one got hurt, but there weren’t any obvious answers to questions about personnel, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Specifically quarterback.
“We asked our quarterbacks to be present,” Morris said. “You can’t be perfect. That means play one play at a time, be in the moment.”
You got the idea he felt Cole Kelley and Ty Storey were pressing a little.
“Guys want to do it all,” he said. “They want to make every check, every throw, and be perfect every play, but it just can’t happen. We tell our guys to play through the system, the system has answers.”
There were players that got your attention, though.
Defensive end Randy Ramsey has been talked about by coaches all spring after his move. He had three tackles in the game, including two sacks for 14 yards in losses.
“Randy Ramsey continued what he’s shown all spring long,” Morris said later. “He has a chance to be really special.”
He is one of the players with new life after the position change with the new coaching staff.
“I just am thankful that they believe in me and putting me in situations that I can play up to my abilities,” Ramsey said later. “They sat me down and told me what they wanted me to do, and I believed in them.”
At times Saturday he looked like playing out wide and coming after the quarterback is what he’s always been doing.
The same couldn’t be said for the quarterbacks.
Ty Storey started and alternated possessions with Cole Kelley. They both were about 50 percent on completions for the same yardage and each was sacked twice.
As Morris said, both did some good things. Both are still struggling at times.
Despite it all, though, Morris doesn’t appear too concerned with the way things are shaping up at quarterback.
It’s not a given the starting quarterback is on campus yet. Coaches aren’t afraid to play freshmen anymore and it doesn’t prevent you from having a championship-caliber team.
Morris wasn’t afraid to put freshman Deshaun Watson in at Clemson when he was a freshman. That’s not saying Connor Noland or John Stephen Jones are the second coming of Watson, but it does say don’t rule out the possibility.
In my opinion, both are better options than anybody on campus now. That’s based on what I’ve seen at practices in drills.
No, Saturday was about getting more film on players for the personnel decisions that will begin in earnest after Wednesday.
“Hammer Down is a culture,” Morris said. “it’s a lifestyle for us. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve come a long way.”
There will be some that won’t be expecting much. The typical knee-jerk reaction and evaluation process the yammering national experts use will have the Hogs fighting to become bowl eligible.
They will be better than that.
And the guess here is that long way Morris is talking about isn’t a .500 record being where he’s talking about going on that long trip.
It’s higher. Much, much higher than that.
Van Horn on Hogs’ series-clinching win over Auburn
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn talked about the win over Auburn to clinch the series and how they’ll be going hard to sweep the series on Sunday.
Bonfield, Murphy talk about key points in win over Tigers
Razorback pitcher Kacey Murphy and designated hitter Luke Bonfield talk with the media after the series-clinching 13-2 win over Auburn on Saturday night.
Play suspended at Aggie Invitational due to darkness Saturday
BRYAN, Texas — On a 36-hole day at the Aggie Invitational, Arkansas moved up three spots during the second round to sit T-8th before play was suspended due to darkness at Traditions Club.
Playing against five of the top 10 teams in the country, the Razorbacks opened play with a 24-over 312, but bounced back in the afternoon and are 8-over with one hole to play before action was halted.
No. 8 Alabama leads the field at 7-over, while Kent State (+15) is second and top-ranked Oklahoma State (+16) is third. Arkansas is T-8th overall and leads No. 10 Baylor by two shots and No. 6 Texas Tech by five strokes.
Alvaro Ortiz leads the way at 4-over for the tournament at T-15th overall, while William Buhl is T-30th at 8-over following a 1-over 73 in the afternoon.
Tyson Reeder carded the team’s low round of the day with an even-par 72 in the afternoon and is T-37th overall. Mason Overstreet is T-50th, Luis Garza is T-56th and Landon Ernst is T-47th playing as an individual.
The Razorbacks return to the course Sunday morning as Ortiz has one hole to play to complete the second round, before action continues into the third and final round.
