No. 3 Arkansas (45-13, 20-10 SEC) is in the driver's seat after beating down Creighton (42-15, 17-4 Big East), 12-1, on Saturday night in the 1-0 game of the Fayetteville Regional. The Razorbacks will head to the regional final and await the winner of tomorrow afternoon's elimination game between the North Dakota Bison and the Bluejays.
Arkansas baseball vs Creighton: Fayetteville Regional
Arkansas got on the board first in the top of the second inning with one out on a solo shot by 2B Camden Kozeal to left field for his 15th bomb of the year and second of the regional. The Hogs loaded the bases with some two-out hitting on a single by 3B Brent Iredale, a walk by 1B Reese Robinett, and CF Justin Thomas Jr. legging out an infield single to short. LF Charles Davalan was hit by a pitch to drive in the Iredale and give the Razorbacks a 2-0 lead. SS Wehiwa Aloy struck out swinging to end the inning.
Logan Maxwell’s incredible diving play
With two outs in the bottom of the second and a runner on first, Creighton DH Dakota Duffalo hit a ball to right near the line. RF Logan Maxwell ran and made a diving play to take away a base hit and end the frame.
The top of the third opened up with Maxwell reaching on a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw, and C Ryder Helfrick got himself a single to left to place runners on first and second. Kozeal continued his hot postseason start with an RBI double to right to score Maxwell while Helfrick scampered to third base. DH Kuhio Aloy struck out swinging for the first out, and Iredale reached on a fielder’s choice, with Helfrick getting thrown out at home. Robinett came through with an RBI single to right field to cash in Kozeal to lengthen Arkansas’ lead, 4-0.
The Razorbacks continued their scoring rampages in the top of the fifth with Robinett drawing a one-out walk and Davalan reaching on a two-out walk. Wehiwa Aloy, who was 0 of 2 at the plate at that point, tomahawked a three-run home run to right for his 19th dinger of the season to put the Hogs up by a touchdown.
Helfrick led off the top of the sixth by crushing a solo home run to left center on the first pitch of the inning for his 11th missile of the season.
Arkansas piled it on in the top of the seventh. RHP Anthony Unga was placed on the mound for Creighton to open up the frame and gave up a walk to Davalan. Wehiwa Aloy followed up by launching a two-run blast to right field for his second home run of the night and 20th of the year. Maxwell kept it going by singling up the middle on the first pitch he saw. Helfrick rocketed a two-run homer to right to give himself a multi-home run game to put the Hogs up big, 12-0.
LHP Zach Root was electric in his 16th start of the year with six shutout innings. He allowed three hits and a walk while carving up seven batters on 94 pitches (55 strikes). RHP Ben Bybee relieved Root to begin the bottom of the seventh.
The Bluejays got their offense rolling in the bottom of the seventh with RF Teddy Deters drawing a walk to begin the inning. After 1B Will MacLean struck out, pinch hitter Jack Torosian roped a single up the middle, and 2B Kyle Hess drew a walk to load the bases. CF Tate Gillen scored Deters on an RBI fielder’s choice, with Hess getting thrown out at second base. Bybee forced 3B Matt Scherrman flew out to center field to protect the big lead, 12-1.
RHP Steele Eaves was inserted on the mound for Arkansas in the bottom of the eighth after Bybee tossed an inning while surrendering a run on a hit and two walks with a strikeout on 24 pitches (14 strikes). Eaves fired a perfect frame while picking up a strikeout on 13 pitches (seven strikes). LHP Colin Fisher finished out the game in the bottom of the ninth by tossing a scoreless frame of his own while allowing just one hit with a strikeout on 15 pitches (nine strikes).
The Razorbacks will take on the winner of tomorrow afternoon's elimination game between North Dakota State and Creighton. The 1-1 game will start at 2 p.m., and the winner will take on the Hogs later that night at 8 p.m. The streaming/channel options for both games are TBA.