ATHENS, Ga. — No. 1 Arkansas nearly overcame a four-run deficit but could not score the game-tying run from third in the ninth in its 7-6 loss against No. 7 Georgia Saturday afternoon at Foley Field.
The loss snapped the Razorbacks’ program-record 12-game SEC win streak and evened the series against the Bulldogs at one game apiece ahead of the weekend finale, which is scheduled for noon Sunday on SEC Network+.
Arkansas will again look to secure its fifth SEC weekend series win of the season and earn its first series win in Athens since 2015.
Georgia jumped out to an early lead after tagging Arkansas starting pitcher Gabe Gaeckle for three runs in the first. The right-hander lasted only two innings, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
The Bulldogs lead 5-1 through the first two innings of play, but the Razorback bullpen would apply the brakes to their hot hitting.
In relief of Gaeckle, who suffered his first loss of the season, Ben Bybee (3.1 IP, 2 R, 5 SO), Christian Foutch (1.2 IP, 5 SO) and Cole Gibler (1.0 IP, 3 SO) combined for six innings of two-run ball with 13 strikeouts and opened the door for the Hogs’ explosive offense to chip away at its multi-run deficit over the game’s remaining frames.
Arkansas did exactly that with a run in the second on Ryder Helfrick’s sixth home run of the season and a run in the third on Logan Maxwell’s RBI groundout to first.
Gabe Fraser, who finished 2-for-3 at the plate and logged his second career multi-hit game, drove in a run in the sixth on his RBI groundout to short, cutting the Razorbacks’ deficit to 6-3.
After Georgia reopened a four-run lead on an RBI double in the bottom half of the sixth, Kuhio Aloy drilled a two-run shot in the top of the eighth to close Arkansas’ gap to 7-5. Kuhio finished 2-for-4 with his 10th home run of the season.
Down a run and down to their final three outs, the Razorbacks had the Bulldogs on the ropes in the ninth.
Wehiwa Aloy drew a leadoff walk before Logan Maxwell singled to first base to put runners at the corners with nobody out.
Wehiwa would scramble home on a wild pitch to cut Arkansas’ deficit to 7-6.
Kendall Diggs, who entered as a pinch runner for Maxwell, advanced to second on the same wild pitch but would ultimately be stranded at third base as the next three Razorback batters went down in order on a pair of groundouts and a game-sealing strikeout.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
