Top plays in SEC baseball: Week 8
SEC Network highlights some of this week’s most exciting moments on the diamond.
LSU’s Walker shuts down Arkansas’ bats for 2-0 series-clinching win
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas couldn’t get any offensive momentum against LSU starting pitcher Eric Walker Sunday afternoon at Baum Stadium.
Walker threw a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and two walks in No. 13 LSU’s series clinching 2-0 victory.
The loss drops the Hogs’ overall record to 25-8 and 8-4 in Southeastern Conference play, while LSU moves up to 22-11 and 7-5 in league play.
Even with the defeat, Arkansas remains in a tie for first in the SEC Western Division with Auburn and Mississippi State.
Arkansas’s four hits came from four different players, but the team never managed to get the lead-off batter on base. Chad Spanberger, Luke Bonfield, Dominic Fletcher, and Carson Shaddy all recorded hits in the game.
It’s been a strong 10-game stretch for Spanberger going back to the series against Missouri (March 24-26). The junior has hit safely in nine of those 10 games, including Sunday’s game, and has six multi-hit games during that same span.
Since conference play began, Spanberger leads all Razorbacks with a .340 average and has 19 RBIs to go along with four home runs.
On the pitching side, Josh Alberius got the start and worked into the fourth, allowing just a single run, while scattering just four hits. It’s the third time in his last five appearances that he’s thrown at least three innings and allowed one run or less.
Jake Reindl followed out of the bullpen and had his best outing of his career, going a career-long 5.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits and tying a career-high with five strikeouts.
Over his last five outings, the sophomore has allowed just one run over 14.1 innings and has struck out 15 in his last four appearances.
LSU got the single run off Alberius in the second inning after Nick Coomes doubled home Josh Smith on the Tigers’ first hit of the day. The insurance run came in the eighth inning after Reindl had already thrown four straight scoreless frames.
LSU took advantage of a hit by pitch to the lead-off batter and then had another batter reach on a throwing error after the attempted sacrifice bunt. Greg Deichmann followed with a base hit through the right side to put his team up 2-0.
Razorback Quotables
“The attitude was good pre-game. We knew what we were getting into today. We were getting into a strike thrower who doesn’t really throw the ball down the middle of the plate and that’s what he did. He threw the ball in and out and was kind of deceptive. Everyone has had trouble hitting him this year. We were disappointed we didn’t win the game last night, but I thought they did a good job. The locker room was good today. We just got beat by a good pitcher. (Eric) Walker stuck it to us.” — Coach Dave Van Horn on the team’s attitude
“That was the positive of the game for us today. Jake Reindl came in and really did a nice job of mixing his pitches, his cutter, slider, threw a few changeups, and his straight fastball that he can throw around 90-91. The cutter was upper and mid 80’s. He just did a really nice job.” — Van Horn on Jake Reindl
“The defense was playing great behind me and Grant (Koch) was calling a great game and that made my job quite a bit easier.” — Reindl on his teammates playing behind him
“We just have to go out and fight next week. It’s not the end of the season for us. We’re a really good team and we know it. We played really good for 18 innings of this weekend and they just had a really good pitcher, who was just on today. This is not the end of the Hogs, this is one weekend and it’s a long season.” — Carson Shaddy on the remainder of the season
Up Next
Arkansas goes on the road for a single midweek game at Missouri State on Tuesday at Hammons Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3. Phil Elson will have the radio call on the Razorback Sports Network.
Hogs fall late to Tigers; rubber game matchup Sunday
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas suffered a tough late-inning loss to No. 13 LSU Saturday night, as the Tigers scored five runs in the top of the ninth to come back and beat the Razorbacks, 10-8, inside Baum Stadium.
The loss forces Arkansas to its third-straight rubber match in as many weeks with first pitch on Sunday set for 1 p.m.
On the mound, junior pitcher Trevor Stephan held the Tigers to just two runs over seven innings, his longest outing of the conference season.
LSU scattered five hits in those first seven innings and Stephan retired 13 of the last 15 batters he faced after giving up a home run in the second inning to Jordan Romero.
The Razorback lineup hit multiple home runs, once again, one each from junior Chad Spanberger and sophomore Grant Koch.
It is the 13th multi-home run game of the season for Arkansas and second of the series.
Seven different Razorbacks notched at least one hit in the game. Sophomore Jax Biggers and Spanberger led the way with three hits each, both going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. For Biggers, it was his third three-hit game of the season.
Spanberger led all Razorbacks with five RBIs, the third Razorback to have five in a game this season and the most in a conference game since Brian Anderson had five against Missouri in 2014. Spanberger hit his second home run of the series in the bottom of the second inning, a three-run shot that put Arkansas up 5-1. The long ball gives him six for the season, matching his total from a year ago.
Koch also got in on the home run action, smacking his ninth of the year in the third inning, which continues to lead the team. It was Koch’s only hit, but he had three walks on a 1-for-2 night at the plate. As a team, Arkansas walked a season high 10 times.
Sophomore Eric Cole had two hits for the second consecutive night, after going 2-for-5 including a big double in the bottom of the ninth that nearly got a rally going for the Razorbacks. Cole is now 4-for-10 on the weekend against LSU with three runs and two RBIs.
Razorback Quotables
“We have escaped a couple of these the last few weekends. We didn’t escape tonight, so we just need to learn from it and move on. It’s baseball, you have to have a short memory and move on.” — Coach Dave Van Horn on the loss
“Number one, he is confident. He’s not trying to pull the ball. He is using the whole field. Last night, his home run was almost to dead center. He’s hit home runs and base hits to left. I think the main thing for him, is getting at-bats and getting confidence.” — Van Horn on Chad Spanberger
“For me, I don’t take this any differently than I usually do. I think these guys have good mindsets, no matter what. I think that is something that we have built, kind of, starting in the fall and coming into the spring. I think these guys will be ready no matter what, but I’m going to do my best to keep them up.” — Grant Koch on handling the loss as a team
“Just that he loves this team. That it is just one game. It clicked with all of us, it’s just one game. It’s all about tomorrow right now. We’ve got a good group here and we’ll respond.” — Koch on Van Horn’s message to the team after the game
Up Next
The Razorbacks and Tigers will play the deciding game of the series Sunday afternoon at Baum Stadium with first pitch set for 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and can be heard in its entirety on the Razorback Sports Network on the radio.
Neighbors meets with media following press conference
Video from WholeHogSports.com
Neighbors introduced as Razorbacks’ new women’s coach
Mike Neighbors is coming home.
The coach at the University of Washington and native of Greenwood will be replacing Jimmy Dykes as the coach of Arkansas’ women’s basketball program.
“Everything I needed to know I learned right here in Fayetteville, Arkansas,” Neighbors wrote in a letter posted to the Razorbacks’ website. “I’m going to be able to share and point it out now that I’m living my dream. This is the dream job. It’s always been my dream job and everyone has known it.
“When I hear my name introduced, there will be a lot of people that will tell me my grandad would have been proud. I know how much this means to my family.”
Dykes graduated from Arkansas in 1993 and has worked for the Hogs twice — as director of operations under Gary Blair from 1999-2001 and an assistant coach for Susie Gardner in 2006-07.
Neighbors was an assistant coach at Tulsa, Colorado, Xavier and Washington before being promoted by the Huskies to his first college head coaching job in 2013.
Neighbors was a high school head coach at Bentonville and Cabot in the 1990s.
In 1997 he led Bentonville to a state runner-up finish two seasons after the program had finished with a 1-24 record.
He replaces Dykes, who was the surprise choice for the job in 2014, had three rather dismal years. He had no previous experience coaching women’s basketball and no head coaching experience at any level.
The Razorbacks finished this past season on an 11-game losing streak.
Washington was 29-6 this season and was eliminated by national runner-up Mississippi State in the Sweet 16.
Neighbors guided Washington to four seasons of unprecedented success, highlighted by the 2016 NCAA Final Four and two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.
Named the program’s head coach after two years as an assistant, Neighbors led the Huskies to a 98-41 record that was fueled by three consecutive 23-plus win seasons and included four postseason appearances (3 NCAA, 1 WNIT).
This time, Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long may have made the right hire.
“Everything that I have done in my career has prepared me to be the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Arkansas,” Neighbors said. “As a native Arkansasan, I understand how special our state and the University are. There is only one Razorback and I’m excited to be able to put that logo on my chest and represent our institution and our state across the country.
“This is my dream job and everyone who knows me, knows that. I grew up wanting to be a Razorback and then a Razorback coach and the four years I spent at Arkansas prepared me for this moment.
“It prepared me for my first job and it prepared me for the head coaching job at Washington four years ago. Now it has come full circle and I’m back at Arkansas.
“Arkansas is a special place.
“We have all the resources in place to be successful on the court and more importantly, to foster the growth and development of the young women who come through our doors.”
Shaddy’s clutch hit lifts Razorbacks to series win over Tide
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Carson Shaddy’s opposite way single in the top of the ninth inning broke a 5-5 tie with Alabama Sunday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, leading Arkansas to an 8-5 win over the Crimson Tide and its third-straight Southeastern Conference series win.
Shaddy, who had struggled at the plate all weekend, came into his ninth inning at-bat just 1-for-12 (.083) in the series.
The Tide intentionally walked freshman Dominic Fletcher to load the bases before Shaddy came up, but the redshirt junior made them pay with his clutch hit to bring in what were the game winning runs.
Even with just one hit in the game, Shaddy still turned in a team-high three RBIs as he had a sacrifice fly to give Arkansas its first run of the game in the second inning.
With the win, Arkansas (22-6, 7-2 SEC) has won seven of its first nine conference games and clinched its first three SEC series for the first time since 2009.
Alabama drops its third conference series in a row, falling to 13-15 overall and 2-7 in SEC play.
Every Razorback starter recorded at least one hit in Sunday’s game, part of a 13 hit outburst. It’s the second game of the series that Arkansas recorded 10 or more hits in a game and 14th this season.
Junior Chad Spanberger came away with the big day at the plate as he went 4-for-5 (.800), all singles, with two runs scored and two RBIs. The four hits for the Illinois native is a career-high and he is the third player with a four-hit game this year.
Fletcher was the only other multi-hit performer for the Hogs, as he went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored. It’s his fourth multi-RBI game this year, as he now has 16 runs batted in through 25 games.
Moments That Mattered
Arkansas had to earn every bit of Sunday’s win as Alabama came back to tie the game on three separate occasions.
Razorback starting pitcher Josh Alberius looked sharp through the first two innings of the game, but had trouble closing out the third after giving up two two-out singles and then a three-run home run to Kyle Kaufman, tying the game at 3-3.
The Hogs finally broke through to retake the lead in the sixth inning on a two-RBI single from Spanberger to make it 5-3 Arkansas.
Only three Razorback baserunners reached in the fourth and fifth innings, but Alabama was forced to go to its bullpen in the middle of the fourth as starter Nick Eicholtz had thrown 81 pitches in just 3.1 innings.
By the sixth, Alabama’s first reliever out of the bullpen, Garrett Suchey, started struggling with control as Jared Gates reached on a strikeout-wild pitch and then advanced to second on another wild pitch.
Suchey then walked Jax Biggers to set up the sacrifice bunt from Jake Arledge. With two outs, Spanberger delivered the clutch hit of his own, taking the first pitch he saw to left field, scoring two.
Alabama roared back to retie the game at 5-5 with a two-run seventh inning. Dominic Taccolini, who had come in from the bullpen in the fourth inning walked the first two batters he faced in the seventh frame, forcing Dave Van Horn to go to the bullpen a second time and bring in Cannon Chadwick.
Chadwick got two quick outs and seemed to be getting out of the inning, but gave up singles to Chandler Avant and Kaufman, followed by a wild pitch brought home Avant to tie the game.
The senior settled down, however, as he finished the seventh without relinquishing the lead and then threw a scoreless eighth and ninth frame, striking out two to earn his third victory of the year.
With only one run allowed on Sunday, Chadwick has only allowed four runs over his last seven appearances, three of those runs coming last week against Missouri.
Up Next
Arkansas returns home after playing on the road for six of the last seven games as it will host Grand Canyon University for a two-game midweek series starting on Tuesday at Baum Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Russell gets 100th hit, but Hogs come up short against Gators again
FAYETTEVILLE — In a near mirror image of the series opener, Arkansas lost to second-ranked Florida, 6-1, on Sunday afternoon at Bogle Park.
Junior Autumn Russell collected the 100th hit of her career and scored the Razorbacks’ run to give the home team an early lead. With Sunday’s result, Arkansas is now 22-12 overall and 2-10 in SEC play.
The first three innings of the game featured a pitcher’s duel between Arkansas’ Autumn Storms and Florida’s Kelly Barnhill before the Razorbacks broke through in the home half of the fourth.
Leading off the frame, Russell recorded the 100th hit of her career with a double to right field. She moved over to third on a ground ball to short.
With two outs, A.J. Belans chopped a ball back to the pitcher but an errant throw to first allowed Russell to score.
Storms retired the first six hitters of the game but faced a two-on, one-out jam in the top of the third. However, senior catcher Shelby Hiers threw out her ninth base runner of the season for the second out.
Storms got out of the inning with a grounder to second.
Florida (33-2, 10-1 SEC) then put together a five-run response in the top of the fifth inning to go ahead on the scoreboard. All five of the runs were scored with two outs including a two-run shot by Kayli Kvistad.
The visitors added another run in the sixth to produce the 6-1 final score.
Arkansas put a runner on base in each of the last two innings — a double by Nicole Schroeder in the sixth and a walk to Belans in the seventh — but weren’t able to cut into Florida’s advantage.
Allison Stewart, the Razorbacks’ third pitcher of the game, kept the visitors off the scoreboard over the final 1.1 innings with the help of two strikeouts.
Up Next
The Razorbacks hit the road for four games next week beginning with a Wednesday, April 5 matchup against Oklahoma in Norman.
The team will continue its travel with a weekend SEC stop at Missouri.
Arkansas’ next home game is April 11 when its hosts Tulsa at 6 p.m.
Arkansas ties for third at NCAA Regional; Yamzon, Speed advance
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas finished tied for third place at the NCAA Regional on Saturday evening with a team season-high score of 196.600.
The top-two teams from the six-team regional — Utah (197.150) and Denver (197.050) — will move on to the NCAA Championship in St. Louis on April 14-16.
Freshman Jessica Yamzon and junior Braie Speed advanced to the NCAA Championship as individual all-arounders and vault specialist, respectively.
Yamzon was the second-highest all-arounder who was not on an advancing team. Among all competitors, she finished sixth with a score of 39.175.
Speed tied for first-place in the vault with four other competitors — Denelle Pedrick from Central Michigan, Rachel Fielitz from Denver and MyKayla Skinner from Utah.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” coach Mark Cook said. “This team fought through a lot of adversity this season, and with all of the young talent we have, their outstanding performance tonight earned them a lot of invaluable experience.”
To kick off the event on balance beam, freshman Michaela Burton earned a 9.875 equaling her personal-best mark set against Auburn on Feb. 3. The score is also tied for the fourth-best mark on beam this season.
Four Razorbacks — Yamzon (9.825), Nelson (9.800), McGlone (9.800) and Burton (9.875) — earned marks of 9.8 and above on balance beam to kick off NCAA Regional action.
Arkansas’ score of 49.075 on balance beam is the fourth-highest team score in the event, topping the previous mark of 49.050 set against Centenary and SJSU on March 10.
On floor exercise, the Gymbacks were anchored by senior Samantha Nelson and sophomore Sydney McGlone, who each earned a score of 9.900. Nelson tied her season-high mark earned against Florida on Feb. 17 and McGlone tied her season-high and career-best marks earned against SJSU and Centenary on March 10 along with Alabama on Jan. 22, 2016.
The team’s 49.225 on floor is tied for the second-best team performance in the event, equaling the mark set against LSU on Feb. 10.
Moving on to vault, Arkansas was led by junior Braie Speed whose 9.900 was the San Antonio, Texas, native’s new career-best score, as well as tying individual season-high marks set by teammates McGlone and Amanda Wellick on Jan. 13 and Jan. 7, respectively.
Freshman Kirby Rathjen also shined in the event, earning a new career-best 9.800, topping her previous marks of 9.775 earned against LSU and Florida on Feb. 3 and Feb. 10. Senior Heather Elswick’s 9.825 equaled her season-best performance earned against SJSU and Centenary on March 10.
The Razorbacks rounded off the event with a 49.175, a new team season-high mark, surpassing the previous record of 49.000 gained against LSU on Feb. 10.
Arkansas rounded off the last event with a 49.125 on uneven bars, led by Garner and Burton, who each earned a 9.900. Garner has scored the three highest individual scores in uneven bars this season for the Gymbacks, and her 9.900 in the NCAA Regionals tied a similar score earned on Feb. 10 against No. 2 LSU.
Arkansas’ final team score of 196.600 is a new season-high mark, besting the previous high of 196.375 set against No. 17 Auburn on Feb. 3.
GYMQUOTES
“To make Nationals is super awesome,” Speed said. “Of course, I wish it was the team that made it instead of me individually, but I’m glad to be able to wear a Hog on my chest to represent the school somehow in St. Louis.” – Junior Braie Speed
“This season has been great, it’s all been a great experience and I’m glad I have the opportunity to compete at Nationals. I’m so excited to represent the best school.” – Freshman Jessica Yamzon
Tide evens series with Hogs on strong pitching performance
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Arkansas’ offense struggled to figure out Alabama starting pitcher Dylan Duarte Saturday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium and never could get it done.
With only one run on six hits, the Hogs suffered their second conference loss of the season, 7-1, to the Crimson Tide, setting up the series-deciding third game on Sunday.
The Razorbacks fall to 21-6 on the year and 6-2 in conference play with the loss, but still remain tied at the top of the SEC Western Division with Auburn. Alabama improves to 13-14 overall and 2-6 in conference play.
Sophomore catcher Grant Koch was the only Razorback to record more than one hit Saturday night as he went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He was brought home in the second inning on a Jaxon Williams single for the Hogs only run of the game.
Duarte handcuffed Arkansas hitters all night, going 8.1 innings and scattering six hits with one earned run on 116 pitches, earning his second win of the year.
For Koch, he now has 10 multi-hit games on the year joining teammate Luke Bonfield as the only Razorbacks with 10 or more multi-hit games this year.
Along with Koch, Jake Arledge, Dominic Fletcher, Jordan McFarland, and Williams tallied hits, but Arkansas was not able to get a runner to third after scoring its single run in the second inning.
Starting pitcher Trevor Stephan did not make it out of the second inning as he gave up four earned runs on four hits in 1.1 innings and was saddled with his second straight loss. It was his shortest start of the season and second in a row that he’s given up four earned runs.
With Stephan getting pulled early, the Hogs were forced to get a lot of innings out of their relievers starting with redshirt freshman Kevin Kopps. Kopps tried to keep the hot hitting Tide at bay, but he struggled the second time through Alabama’s lineup, giving up three runs on three hits in the fifth.
Kopps was strong through the third and fourth innings, striking out four and only allowing one baserunner. It’s his second straight outing with four strikeouts and third overall with four or more.
Sophomore Jake Reindl took over for Kopps on the mound in the fifth inning with one out and was lights out. Reindl didn’t allow a single Alabama batter to reach base in 2.2 innings, as he struck out a career-high five batters. He’s become one of head coach Dave Van Horn’s best options out of the bullpen as of late, as Saturday’s appearance was fifth scoreless outing of the season and second straight of 2+ innings with no runs allowed.
Up Next
The Razorbacks and Crimson Tide will face off in a rubber match on Sunday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium to conclude the series. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network. Fans can also hear the game on the radio on the Razorback Sports Network with Phil Elson calling the action.
Florida run-rules Razorbacks to clinch series with 8-0 victory
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas fell behind early and never could catch up with Florida in an 8-0 loss to Florida on Saturday afternoon.
The Razorbacks were held to two hits by Florida starter Delaney Gourley, singles by Shelby Hiers and Ashley Diaz.
With Saturday’s result, Arkansas is now 22-11 overall and 2-9 in Southeastern Conference play.
Saturday’s game was played in front of 1,021 fans, the 10th-largest crowd at Bogle Park.
With her team facing the wrong side of a run-rule decision, Ashley Diaz stroked a one-out single to left field in the fifth inning to get a would-be rally started.
The Razorbacks got the benefit of a fielding error at third base to have runners on first and second with two outs.
However, in the next at-bat Madison Yannetti lined out to the shortstop to end the game.
Diaz has hit safely in four straight and five of the last six.
Florida (32-2, 9-1 SEC) struck early with three runs — two earned — off freshman starter Autumn Storms in the first inning.
The visitors pushed their lead to 4-0 off with an RBI fielder’s choice in the third, the final inning of the day for Storms. Katie Warrick pitched the final two innings of the game.
After a 10-pitch fourth by Warrick, the Gators put the game out of reach with a four-run fifth, capped by a three-run shot to center by Jordan Roberts.
Up Next
The weekend series between Arkansas and Florida concludes Sunday at 12 p.m. with the annual Pink Game.
The first 100 fans at Bogle Park will receive a limited edition Arkansas Softball t-shirt.
In addition to the final day of Bark in the Park, fans are invited to stick around for the Hogstar Game featuring Arkansas administration, staff and student-athletes.
General admission is free for all home games with gates opening one hour prior to first pitch.
