The No. 5 Arkansas (36-7, 13-5 SEC) pitching staff combined for 15 strikeouts in its dominant 4-0 win over the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (18-22, 7-7 OVC), 4-0, to complete the midweek sweep on Wednesday night at Baum-Walker Stadium in the final midweek home game of the year. The Razorbacks finish the regular season with a 5-0 record against in-state opponents and are 11-1 in midweek games this season.
Arkansas baseball vs ULAR: Game two
LHP Colin Fisher went two innings on the mound for Arkansas in his fifth start (14th appearance) of the year. He did not allow a run and only gave up one hit while striking out two batters on 26 pitches (16 strikes). RHP Steele Eaves took over on the bump to begin the top of the third inning.
The Hogs broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with CF Charles Davalan and SS Wehiwa Aloy both reaching on back-to-back singles. DH Logan Maxwell popped out on a bunt to the pitcher, and LF Carson Boles fouled out to first base for the first two outs of the frame. LHP Hunter Royal relieved RHP Noah Burkey and gave up a walk to 1B Camden Kozeal to load the bases. 3B Brent Iredale drove in Davalan on a four-pitch walk to score the game’s first run. Aloy scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead, 2-0. 2B Gabe Fraser grounded out to second to end the rally.
Eaves twirled two shutout frames in his sixth appearance of the season while giving up two hits and picking up a strikeout on 29 pitches (17 strikes). LHP Cole Gibler relieved him to open up the top of the fifth and hurled two scoreless innings of his own. All six outs the southpaw recorded were via the strikeout while allowing a hit on 32 pitches (23 strikes).
Gibler has struck out 39 batters this year through 17.1 innings of work for an average of 20.3 strikeouts per nine innings. RHP Ben Bybee came out of the bullpen to start the top of the seventh and fired a scoreless frame while surrendering a single and striking out two batters on 21 pitches (13 strikes).
The Razorbacks extended the lead to three on a solo shot by Aloy to lead off the bottom of the seventh. It was his 17th home run of the season and fifth in the last seven games.
RHP Christian Foutch made his 13th appearance of the season on the bump for Arkansas and tossed a scoreless eighth inning. He struck out two batters while allowing a walk on 22 pitches (13 strikes).
The Hogs put up some insurance in the bottom of the eighth with Fraser reaching on a one-out single, and RF Kendall Diggs being intentionally walked after Fraser stole second base. Davalan cashed in Fraser with two outs on an RBI single to right center to make it a 4-0 lead while Diggs moved over to third.
RHP Will McEntire finished it off in the top of the ninth by throwing a perfect frame while picking up two strikeouts on 16 pitches (10 strikes) to complete the combined five-hitter.
The Razorbacks will travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the Florida Gators in a three-game weekend series starting on Friday at Condron Ballpark. The first pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+.