No. 8 Arkansas (43-12, 20-10 SEC) finished the regular season on a high note by taking the series over the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers (41-15, 16-14 SEC), 8-4, on Saturday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium. With this series victory, the Razorbacks have engraved their status as a Top 8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Arkansas baseball vs Tennessee: Game Three
Tennessee immediately got on the board in the top of the first inning with SS Gavin Kilen and 1B Andrew Fischer leading off the game with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. CF Hunter Ensley drove in Kilen with an RBI single to short to put the Volunteers ahead, 1-0. RHP Gage Wood did not let the shaky start rattle him and struck out the side in order to escape the frame.
Arkansas answered back right away in the bottom of the first with SS Wehiwa Aloy doubling to left field with one out and RF Logan Maxwell following up with a walk. After DH Kuhio Aloy lined out to right to advance Wehiwa Aloy to third base, C Ryder Helfrick legged out an RBI single to tie the game.
Tennessee took the lead back quickly in the top of the second with C Cannon Peebles and 3B Manny Marin reaching base on back-to-back one-out singles. After Kilen struck out swinging, Fischer roped a double to right field to score Peebles while Marin moved over to third. Wood forced Ensley to ground out to short to end the inning.
The Hogs came through with a huge rally in the bottom of the third to take a commanding lead. LF Charles Davalan led off with a single to right field and later advanced to second on a balk. He scored after Wehiwa Aloy reached on a fielding error at second to allow Davalan to round third and tie the game, 2-2. Maxwell and Kuhio Aloy loaded the bases with back-to-back walks to knock RHP Tegan Kuhns out of the game. After RHP Austin Breedlove was placed on the mound, Helfrick launched a huge grand slam to left for his 10th home run of the season to give the Razorbacks the lead.
RHP Gage Wood was relieved by LHP Landon Beidelschies to start the top of the fourth. Wood threw three innings in his seventh start of the year while allowing two runs, seven hits and a walk with seven strikeouts on 76 pitches (52 strikes).
Arkansas kept it going with Wehiwa Aloy leading off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to right center to extend the lead to five, 7-2, for his team-leading 18th homer of the year.
The Razorbacks continued with another run in the bottom of the fifth, with 1B Reese Robinett opening up the frame with a walk. After Davalan drew a one-out walk, Wehiwa Aloy reached on a fielder’s choice at second to place runners on the corners. Maxwell laced an RBI single to left to cash in Robinett to put the Hogs ahead by six.
Tennessee found its offense again in the top of the sixth, with Marin leading off the frame with a walk. Fischer cracked a one-out two-run homer to right center to cut the deficit to four. After allowing the home run, Beidelschies was relieved by RHP Will McEntire.
Beidelschies tossed 2.1 innings of relief in his 14th appearance of the season (second in relief). The southpaw surrendered two runs, two hits and three walks while carving up three batters on 45 pitches (28 strikes). McEntire went on to pick up an 11-out save and did not allow a baserunner in his 16th appearance of the season. He struck out four batters on 39 pitches (29 strikes) to send the crowd home happy.
With the regular season complete, the Razorbacks will head to Hoover, Ala., next week for the Southeastern Conference Tournament.