No. 4 Arkansas (7-1) lit the bats on fire with a 14-3 run-rule victory over the Grambling Tigers (4-4) on Tuesday evening in Baum-Walker Stadium. It is the Razorbacks’ third run-rule victory of the season across their first eight games.
Arkansas wasted little time by plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead. The Hogs loaded the bases with two outs for 1B Rocco Peppi, who laced a single to left field off of LHP Nick Robinson to score LF Charles Davalan and 3B Brent Iredale.
Grambling got a run back in the top of the second with one out on an RBI single by 1B Aries Gardner to cash in DH Chenar Brown from third base to cut the lead to one. RHP Ben Bybee got out of the inning by making C Chris Marcellus ground into a 4-6-3 double play.
Bybee tossed three frames in his first start of the season (second appearance) while allowing a run on a hit and two walks with two strikeouts on 47 pitches (29 strikes). He was declared the winning pitcher for his first win of the year.
The Razorbacks put up another two-spot in the bottom of the third after Iredale and DH Kuhio Aloy got on base with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Peppi drove in his third RBI of the game with a single to left field, and 2B Nolan Souza drew a walk to load up the bases. C Ryder Helfrick drove in Aloy on a sacrifice fly to center to put Arkansas ahead by three, 4-1.
LHP Thomas Leiden came out of the bullpen for the Tigers in the bottom of the fourth and allowed a leadoff single to SS Wehiwa Aloy. Fletcher went on to balk two times in a row to allow Aloy to advance all the way to third. RF Logan Maxwell followed up with an RBI single to extend the lead to four, and Iredale worked a walk to put runners on first and second. Both runners advanced a station on a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt by Leiden. Kuhio Aloy drove in both runners with a two-run double for his third two-bagger of the season to inflate the lead, 7-1.
Grambling salvaged a run in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to five on an RBI double by CF Martavius Thomas with two outs off of RHP Aiden Jimenez to score Gardner from second and advance Keanu Jacobs-Guishard to third. Jimenez limited the damage by making SS Nyan Hayes ground out to second.
Arkansas put the game away with a six-run rally in the bottom half of the fifth. The Hogs loaded up the bases with one out on a single by Maxwell, a walk by Iredale and another single by Kuhio Aloy. Peppi was hit by a pitch to drive in his fourth run of the contest, and each runner moved up a base on a wild pitch with Maxwell scoring. Souza grounded out to second base to punch in Aloy from third.
Helfrick stepped up to the plate and belted a two-run bomb to left field for his first home run of the year. CF Justin Thomas Jr. followed up by smashing a solo shot to left for his first career dinger as a Razorback to increase the lead to 11, 13-2.
RHP Steele Eaves made his first career collegiate appearance on the mound in the top of the sixth while picking up two strikeouts. The freshman allowed a run on an RBI groundout to 3B Shannon Martin to plate Brown from third but carved up Gardner looking to end the frame.
Arkansas loaded the bases one final time in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of walks by Maxwell and Iredale and a single by Kuhio Aloy. Gabe Fraser, who came into the game in the sixth as a defensive replacement at second base, scored Maxwell on a sacrifice fly to right field for his first career RBI at the collegiate level.
RHP Carson Wiggins hurled a three-up, three-down inning in the top of the seventh to end the game on 10 pitches (eight strikes) while picking up a punchout. All five pitchers the Hogs used registered at least one inning of work and a strikeout while allowing four hits and three walks combined.
The Razorbacks will stay at Baum-Walker Stadium to open up a three-game series on Friday against the Charlotte 49ers. The first pitch for the series opener is at 3 p.m., and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+.