No. 2 Arkansas (33-6, 12-4 SEC) suffered just its second home loss of the season in Thursday night's series opener against the Texas A&M Aggies (22-15, 7-9 SEC), 7-4, at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks are on a three-game losing streak against Southeastern Conference opponents while suffering their sixth defeat of the year.
Arkansas baseball vs Texas A&M, game one
Texas A&M got on the board early in the top of the first inning with CF Jace LaViolette working a one-out walk and 3B Wyatt Henseler followed up with a single to put runners on first and second. DH Caden Sorrell drove LaViolette in with an RBI single to center field to put the Aggies up front early, 1-0. LHP Zach Root held the runners on the corners by making C Bear Harrison strike out looking and forcing SS Kaeden Kent to fly out to left.
Arkansas answered right back in the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles by LF Charles Davalan and SS Wehiwa Aloy to lead off the inning. After RF Logan Maxwell grounded into a fielder’s choice to place runners on the corners, DH Kuhio Aloy roped an RBI double down the left field line to punch in Davalan and tie the game, with Maxwell moving to third. 1B Camden Kozeal drove in Maxwell with an RBI groundout to second to hand the Hogs the lead, 2-1.
Texas A&M took the lead right back in the top of the second with a three-run rally. 1B Blake Binderup led off the frame with a single to left field, but 2B Ben Royo struck out on three pitches. LF Jamal George came through for the Aggies with a single and RF Terrence Kiel II was hit by a pitch to load up the bases. LaViolette plated Binderup to tie the game on an RBI fielder’s choice, with Kiel getting thrown out at second. On a full count pitch, Henseler laced a two-run double to left center to give Texas A&M the lead back, 4-2.
Wehiwa Aloy’s Web Gem
After Henseler’s two-run double put the Aggies on top, Sorrell came up to the plate looking to do some more damage. He hit a hard ground ball to the left side in the vicinity of Wehiwa Aloy. Wehiwa Aloy made a slick backhanded play, then launched a throw to first while leaping in a Derek Jeter-esque fashion. Kozeal stretched to snag the throw, securing the final out of the inning in dramatic style.
WEHIWA ALOY CONTINUES TO AMAZE pic.twitter.com/0VSZzEjMtw
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) April 18, 2025
Davalan opened up the bottom of the third with a leadoff double to left center. Wehiwa Aloy reared back and blasted a two-run home run to center field for his 14th dinger of the season to tie the game.
Texas A&M snagged the lead back in the top of the fifth. Sorrell led off with a walk and moved up to second and third on two wild pitches. Harrison drew a walk of his own to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Kent drove in Sorrell on an RBI single to put the Aggies up, 5-4, on a slow roller near third and moved up to third on a throwing error by 3B Brent Iredale while Harrison scampered to third. Root was relieved by RHP Dylan Carter after Kent’s infield hit.
Root went four innings in his 10th start of the year while allowing six runs (five earned), seven hits and three walks with six strikeouts on 95 pitches (65 strikes). This is only the second time this year Root has given up five or more earned runs in a game.
Binderup drove in Harrison on an RBI fielder’s choice, with Kent getting thrown out at third base by Wehiwa Aloy for the first out of the inning. Carter ended Texas A&M’s two-run fifth by striking out Royo and George.
Carter tossed four shutout frames in relief while hitting a batter and allowing just a hit while carving up four batters on 42 pitches (23 strikes). He was relieved by RHP Christian Foutch to begin the top of the ninth.
LaViolette added some insurance for the Aggies with a solo shot to left field to extend the lead to three, 7-4.
Aggies RHP Weston Moss kept the Hogs at bay with five scoreless innings of relief. He was brought in for LHP Ryan Prager in the bottom of the fifth while allowing a walk and three hits. Moss struck out five batters on 67 pitches (45 strikes).
The Razorbacks and the Aggies will meet back up at Paul Walker Stadium on Friday for a doubleheader to finish the three-game series. The first game will start at 2 p.m., and the second game will start one hour after the conclusion of the first game. Both games will be streamed on SEC Network+.