No. 3 Arkansas (13-1) put on an offensive clinic in Friday’s series opener against the Portland Pilots (5-9), 20-3, in Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks accounted for five home runs, two doubles and a triple in the beat down.
Arkansas vs Portland: game one
Portland jumped on Arkansas early in the top of the first inning. 3B Cole Katayama-Stall drove in a pair with a triple to right center off of RHP Gabe Gaeckle to give the Pilots an early 2-0.
Arkansas went on to erupt with two huge rallies in the bottom of the first and second. The Hogs responded with a four-spot in the bottom of the first. SS Wehiwa Aloy and RF Logan Maxwell reached on back-to-back singles with one out to put runners on first and second. DH Kuhio Aloy doubled down the left field line to score his older brother and cut the lead to one. 3B Brent Iredale followed up with a two-run double to give the Razorbacks the lead, 3-2, and advanced to third base on a fielding error. 1B Camden Kozeal knocked him in with an RBI groundout to second to extend the lead to two.
The Razorbacks set the tone in the bottom of the second with a seven-run rally to put the game away early. C Ryder Helfrick started it off by getting hit by a pitch and CF Justin Thomas Jr. singled up the middle to put runners in scoring position. Thomas stole second base, and Helfrick scored on a throwing error by C Tyler Howard.
Wehiwa Aloy was hit by a pitch, and Maxwell worked a walk to load up the bases with one out. Kuhio Aloy smacked a single up the middle to plate two runs, and Iredale crushed a three-run home run for his fourth bomb of the year. 2B Nolan Souza stepped up to the plate with two outs and rocketed a solo shot to left field for his second homer of the year to put Arkansas up big, 11-2.
The Razorbacks tacked on two more in the bottom of the third on a two-run blast by Wehiwa Aloy for his fourth dinger of the season.
The Hogs kept their foot on the gas in the bottom of the fifth with LF Charles Davlan reaching on a single and Wehiwa Aloy working a walk to place runners on first and second. Kendall Diggs, who came in as a defensive replacement for Maxwell in the top of the fifth, drove in both runners with a triple to right center. After Kuhio Aloy walked to put runners on the corners, Iredale smashed his second home run of the day with a three-run shot to right field to put Arkansas up by a couple of touchdowns, 18-2.
Gaeckle went 5.1 innings in his fourth start of the year while allowing two runs, two hits and three walks. The Razorback hurler carved up seven batters on 87 pitches (50 strikes) and dropped his ERA from 7.24 to 6.16 while picking up his first win of the season. He was relieved by RHP Steele Eaves in the top of the sixth with one out.
Portland brought in a run off the new pitcher on an RBI single by SS Jonas Salk to cash in Katayama-Stall from second base with two outs while 1B Trey Swygart advanced to second. Eaves paid no mind to it and forced LF Aaron Louis to pop out to short.
Wehiwa Aloy barreled up a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth with two outs for his second bomb of the game to put the cherry on top for the Hogs. Eaves threw a scoreless frame in the top of the seventh to give Arkansas the win. He recorded 1.2 innings while surrendering a run and four hits with a strikeout on 31 pitches (21 strikes).
The Razorbacks will take on the Pilots on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the second game of the three-game series in Baum-Walker Stadium. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.