Razorbacks defeat Oral Roberts behind Aloy, Stewart at Baum-Walker

No. 6 Arkansas used timely hitting and steady pitching to handle Oral Roberts on Tuesday night, earning a 10-2 victory in a midweek matchup at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Razorbacks put together multiple scoring bursts and received strong performances across the lineup to improve their early-season record.

The win pushed Arkansas to 10-3 overall and gave the club a 3-1 record in midweek contests this season.

The Hogs had previously defeated Tarleton State and split a pair of games with Arkansas State before Tuesday’s meeting with the Golden Eagles.

Oral Roberts struck first with a run in the top of the second inning, briefly putting the visitors ahead. The Razorbacks quickly answered in the bottom half of the frame, using a string of hits to take control of the game.

Zack Stewart played a key role in that response. The Arkansas outfielder finished the night 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a walk, helping ignite the offense early and keep pressure on the Oral Roberts pitching staff throughout the game.

Stewart’s RBI single began a four-run inning that flipped the momentum. By the time the inning ended, the Razorbacks had turned a deficit into a comfortable 4-1 lead.

Arkansas never gave that advantage back.

Big offensive frames fuel Arkansas victory

The Hogs continued building their lead in the middle innings, adding another surge in the fourth. TJ Pompey opened the inning with his first home run of the season, a shot that energized the crowd and set the tone for another rally.

Later in the inning, Kuhio Aloy delivered one of the biggest swings of the night. The Razorbacks’ designated hitter lined a double into the left-center field gap that brought home two runs.

That hit pushed Arkansas further in front and highlighted Aloy’s productive performance. He finished the game 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.

Aloy’s contributions didn’t stop there. He later crossed the plate on a wild pitch, giving the Razorbacks an 8-1 advantage as the offense continued to pile up runs.

The Hogs added two more runs in the fifth inning. A wild pitch allowed one run to score, and Aloy capped the scoring with an RBI groundout that pushed the lead to 10-1.

Four Arkansas hitters recorded multi-hit games in the contest. Stewart led the way with three hits, while Ryder Helfrick and Maika Niu also contributed multiple hits to support the lineup’s balanced attack.

Helfrick reached base several times and finished 2-for-2 with two walks. The catcher has been one of the team’s most productive hitters early in the season and continued that trend in the win.

Razorback pitchers combine for strong outing

While the offense generated runs, the Arkansas pitching staff delivered a steady performance that kept the Golden Eagles from mounting a comeback.

James DeCremer made his second start of the season and worked the first two innings. The right-hander allowed one run while recording a strikeout before handing the ball to the bullpen.

Reliever Ethan McElvain earned the win and improved to 2-0 on the year. He tossed a scoreless inning and struck out three batters during his outing.

The Razorbacks used several arms in relief to cover the remainder of the game. Tate McGuire, Jackson Kircher, Mark Brissey and Jordan Martin each delivered scoreless appearances.

Martin, a true freshman, made his collegiate debut and worked a clean inning.

Overall, Arkansas pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts across nine innings while allowing just two runs.

Oral Roberts scored its second run in the seventh inning on a solo home run, but by that point the Razorbacks already had the game firmly in hand.

Razorbacks continue homestand

With the victory secured, the Hogs shifted their attention to the upcoming weekend series. Arkansas will host Stetson in a four-game set beginning Friday at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The series will mark the final non-conference weekend matchup of the regular season for the Razorbacks. Arkansas has been dominant in those situations at home, entering the weekend with a long streak of non-conference weekend series wins in Fayetteville.

Tuesday’s win showed the type of balance Arkansas hopes to maintain as the season moves forward. The Razorbacks combined timely hitting, depth at the plate and strong bullpen work to secure the midweek victory.

If that formula continues, the Hogs could carry momentum into the upcoming weekend series and deeper into the season.

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Fisher, Razorbacks pitching staff control series finale

The weekend opened with a one-run loss, but it closed with command on the mound.

After falling 4-3 in Friday’s opener, Arkansas answered by winning the final two games of the series against UT-Arlington. The Razorbacks capped the weekend with an 11-1 run-rule victory in seven innings Sunday, improving to 9-3 on the season.

The difference over the final two games was clear. The Hogs controlled the strike zone, limited free passes and kept traffic off the bases. Sunday’s finale was another example of that formula.

Colin Fisher delivered six steady innings to anchor the win. The junior left-hander allowed just one unearned run while scattering five hits and one walk. He struck out seven and threw 62 of his 85 pitches for strikes.

“I thought Fish threw good,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “He didn’t throw great, because he’s thrown great a couple of times.”

Fisher extends run-free streak

Fisher didn’t have every pitch working the way he wanted. Still, he found ways to get outs. Early in the game, he relied more heavily on his fastball as he worked through the lineup.

“Last week I felt like I had everything working,” Fisher said of his one-hit shutout against Xavier. “Everything today wasn’t working, so [it was good] just being able to pitch through that and knowing that I could kind of get out of it, even though there’s runners on or whatever.”

That ability to adjust has defined his start to the season. Fisher has not allowed an earned run in 19 innings across starts against Texas Tech, Xavier and UT-Arlington. He owns a 0.53 WHIP and has recorded 26 strikeouts, averaging 13.1 per nine innings.

Even when UT-Arlington threatened, Fisher stayed calm. The Mavericks scored their only run in the fifth inning after a fielding error at third base extended the inning. An RBI double followed, but Fisher prevented further damage and kept the game in control.

The Razorbacks backed him with clean defense the rest of the way and avoided giving the Mavericks extra chances.

Bullpen keeps door closed

Once Fisher’s afternoon ended, Arkansas turned to Steele Eaves to finish it. Eaves delivered a perfect seventh inning to close out the run-rule victory.

He has now thrown eight innings this season without allowing an earned run.

The pitching staff as a whole set the tone after Friday’s narrow loss. Over the final two games, the Hogs limited scoring chances and forced UT-Arlington to string hits together rather than rely on big swings.

UT-Arlington coach Mike Trapasso acknowledged his team struggled to respond.

“The last two days we couldn’t get anything generated offensively,” Trapasso said. “I just didn’t feel like we put up a fight. It’s disappointing.”

Arkansas made sure there wasn’t much opportunity for one.

Offense supports the mound

While pitching led the way, timely hitting provided breathing room.

Zack Stewart opened the scoring Sunday with a solo home run in the second inning. Camden Kozeal added a two-run shot in the third to build an early cushion.

The Razorbacks continued adding pressure with disciplined at-bats. Maika Niu reached base, stole second and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Carson Brumbaugh.

Brumbaugh finished 2 for 3 with two doubles, two runs and the first RBI of his career.

“I’m just going back to what I used to do as a kid and just trying to hit the ball through the middle,” Brumbaugh said. “It’s kind of got me back in a better spot.”

The biggest surge came in the sixth inning. With two outs, Arkansas pieced together a string of hits that led to five runs. Ryder Helfrick’s two-run home run highlighted the rally.

“It was huge coming up with two outs,” Helfrick said. “You can kind of either make a decision to give up or keep fighting.”

Seven straight batters reached base during that inning, turning a comfortable lead into a decisive one.

Response after Friday

Friday’s opener ended in a 4-3 loss, but the Razorbacks didn’t let that linger. Instead, they leaned on their pitching staff and trusted their preparation.

Van Horn pointed to the overall offensive effort while acknowledging the weekend’s turnaround.

“There were some really, really good swings,” he said. “It was a really good offensive weekend when you get rid of Friday.”

In the end, Arkansas’ pitching dominance defined the series. Fisher’s consistency, backed by a clean bullpen outing, ensured the Hogs controlled the rubber match from start to finish.

After a close loss to open the weekend, the Razorbacks responded the way strong teams do — by taking the ball, throwing strikes and finishing the job.

Razorbacks fall at Florida as Gators earn SEC share

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Arkansas ran into a red-hot Florida team Saturday night and left with a 111-77 loss as the Gators clinched at least a share of the SEC regular-season championship.

The Razorbacks struggled to slow Florida’s offense from the opening minutes. The home team pushed the pace, shot well from the floor, and built a lead that quickly grew into double digits.

Billy Richmond III gave Arkansas an early spark. He scored 14 of his 22 points in the first 15 minutes and tried to keep the Hogs within striking distance.

But Florida answered every push. The Gators had seven players score in double figures and never let Arkansas find rhythm on either end of the court.

Darius Acuff Jr., who leads the SEC in scoring and assists, finished with 17 points and six assists. Still, the Razorbacks couldn’t string together enough stops to cut deeply into the deficit.

Arkansas shot 40 percent from the field. Florida shot 57 percent and controlled the glass, finishing with a 49-30 rebounding advantage.

That difference showed up in second-chance points and fast-break chances. Each time the Hogs made a shot, the Gators seemed to respond right away.

By halftime, the game had already tilted heavily toward Florida, and the Razorbacks faced a steep climb.

Florida pulls away early and never looks back

Florida’s balanced scoring made the difference. Thomas Haugh scored 22 points, matching Richmond’s total on the other side.

Rueben Chinyelu added another strong outing with his 17th double-double of the season. His presence inside made it tough for Arkansas to score in the paint.

Urban Klavzar chipped in 14 points off the bench, and Isaiah Brown added 11. The Gators kept fresh legs on the floor and maintained pressure throughout.

The Razorbacks tried to answer with drives and outside shots, but turnovers and missed opportunities stalled momentum.

At one point in the second half, Florida’s lead stretched to 37 points. The Hogs continued to compete, but the gap proved too wide to close.

Both coaches received technical fouls during a heated stretch in the second half, showing the emotion on the floor.

Still, Florida stayed focused and continued to score efficiently, sealing the result long before the final buzzer.

When the horn sounded, Arkansas had dropped to 21-8 overall and 11-5 in SEC play.

Razorbacks turn toward final stretch

The loss marked one of the largest margins Arkansas has faced this season and tied a school record for biggest SEC defeat.

Despite the tough result, the Razorbacks remain in strong position as postseason play approaches. The SEC tournament is around the corner, and seeding still matters.

Richmond’s 22-point effort stood out as a positive sign. His early scoring kept the Hogs competitive before Florida pulled away.

Acuff continued to show why he’s among the league’s best guards, even on a difficult night. His ability to score and distribute will be key moving forward.

The Razorbacks will now look to regroup and focus on their final regular-season games. Each contest provides a chance to build rhythm before tournament time.

Arkansas knows it must tighten its defense and improve rebounding after allowing 111 points.

The Hogs have shown resilience before this season, bouncing back after setbacks with strong performances.

Saturday night belonged to Florida and its SEC celebration, but the Razorbacks still have work ahead and opportunities left to seize.