Arkansas started fast in Friday’s home opener, using a first-inning outburst to set the tone in a 5-2 win over the Xavier Musketeers at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The largest home-opening crowd in program history of 10,388 was on hand as the Razorbacks exploded for three runs in their first turn at the plate.
Camden Kozeal provided the early spark, belting a three-run home run, his third of the season, to give the Razorbacks their first lead of the afternoon and the offense they’d need to secure the win.
Junior right-hander Gabe Gaeckle took the ball for the Hogs and handily navigated the early innings, holding Xavier in check through five frames.
He allowed four hits and one earned run while striking out seven, earning the victory.
Despite Arkansas being outhit nine to four, the Razorbacks capitalized on key moments and made the most of their opportunities with runners on base.
Xavier loaded the bases early in its first offensive chance, but a 1-3-6-2-5 double play turned the momentum right back to Arkansas and preserved the lead.
Middle innings support Arkansas’ lead
Arkansas padded its advantage in the fifth inning against Xavier’s bullpen when Nolan Souza lined a two-run double to extend the lead to 5-1.
Souza’s double came after he doubled earlier in the game, providing the Razorbacks with crucial extra-base hits in support of their early scoring surge.
Musketeers starter Ryan Piech settled in following Kozeal’s first-inning blast, striking out nine over four innings, though Arkansas still managed to tack on insurance runs.
Cole Gibler took over on the mound and worked four innings in relief. He surrendered a solo home run in the eighth inning but otherwise limited Xavier’s offense to help secure the win for Arkansas.
Gibler allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out two, and worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the seventh to maintain the Razorbacks’ cushion.
Strikeouts persist, but Hogs convert when it counts
Offensively, Arkansas struck out 12 times, a continuation of early-season swing-and-miss issues that showed up in its series at Globe Life Field.
Piech’s strikeouts accounted for nine of those showing his ability to generate whiffs when ahead in the count before reaching his 71-pitch limit.
Still, Arkansas made its contact count.
The Razorbacks were 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position, while Xavier went 0-for-8 despite outhitting Arkansas overall.
The efficiency in key situations helped offset the strikeouts and turned Kozeal’s early power and Souza’s extra-base hits into meaningful runs.
Xavier’s two runs both came on solo homers. One was off Gaeckle in the fifth inning and another against Gibler in the eighth, but the Musketeers were unable to string hits together when it mattered.
Arkansas and Xavier are set to continue their three-game set with Game 2 on Saturday at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.
The Razorbacks will aim to build on the fast start in Friday’s opener as they begin an 18-game homestand at Baum-Walker Stadium.
For Arkansas, the formula in Game 1 was straightforward: jump ahead early, make the big pitch or defensive play, and let pitching carry the day.
