Razorbacks ride home runs to blowout win over Illinois-Chicago

There was no shortage of offensive contributions for Arkansas on Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks swatted four home runs in a 10-1 victory over the Illinois-Chicago Flames to secure the series.

The fireworks began in the third inning, when graduate left fielder Chris Lanzilli hit a towering three-run homer into the Hog Pen for his first as a Razorback. Senior right fielder Brady Slavens went back-to-back, sneaking an opposite-field shot just over the left field fence to make it a 4-0 ballgame.

The Flames ended freshman lefty Hagen Smith’s shutout bid with a solo home run from second baseman Clay Conn, the first of his career, in the fifth. That was the lone blemish on Smith’ stat line, as he picked up his team-high third win in four starts, going five innings, allowing four hits, walking three batters and striking out eight.

The longballs kept coming for the Razorbacks in the sixth inning. The bottom of the order loaded the bases with singles, and when sophomore third baseman Cayden Wallace came to bat for the fourth time, he belted a 2-0 fastball into the Hog Pen for the first Arkansas grand slam of 2022. Two batters later, graduate catcher Michael Turner hit a solo shot to right field, his third of the year.

After leading off the eighth with a double, junior second baseman Robert Moore scored the Hogs’ 10th run of the game on a single by Turner, who delivered his team-leading 16th RBI of the season. Moore’s double ensured all nine starters recorded at least one hit.

Arkansas relievers tossed four scoreless frames following Smith’s start. Senior Zebulon Vermillion pitched the sixth and seventh innings before handing the reins to senior Elijah Trest for the eighth, and sophomore Evan Gray closed it out in the ninth. The three righties combined to walk two batters and hit two, but they did not allow a hit and they piled on seven more strikeouts.

The Razorbacks and Flames will take the field once more at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jaxon Wiggins will get the start for the Hogs as they try to sweep UIC. The game will stream live on the SEC Network+.