No. 2 Arkansas (28-3, 9-1 SEC) put up a few rallies to run-rule the Missouri Tigers (11-18, 0-10 SEC) in seven innings, 21-3, to take the series opener on Saturday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks have won nine consecutive Southeastern Conference games in a row.
Arkansas vs Missouri: Game one
Arkansas put up a couple of runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead. LF Charles Davalan led off the frame with a single but was thrown out at second after SS Wehiwa Aloy reached on a fielder’s choice. RF Logan Maxwell drew a one-out walk, and 3B Brent Iredale was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases. 1B Camden Kozeal drove in the first run of the game with a walk and C Ryder Helfrick was hit by a pitch to drive in the second.
C Jedier Hernandez made his way on in the top of the second with a one-out double to left-center, and SS Peyton Basler drew a walk. Missouri scored its first run of the game after 2B Keegan Knutson doubled to left field to plate Hernandez while Basler advanced to third base. CF Kaden Peer tied the game with an RBI groundout to score Basler. LHP Zach Root got the Hogs out of the inning by striking out 1B Mateo Serna.
The Razorbacks immediately retook the lead in the bottom of the third with Maxwell leading off with a solo shot to right field for his ninth home run of the season, 3-2. Iredale and Kozeal kept the rally going with back-to-back one-out singles to place runners on first and second. Helfrick brought in Iredale with an RBI double down the left field line to extend the lead to two for his second two-bagger of the year.
Arkansas followed up a five-spot in the bottom of the fourth. Wehiwa Aloy led off with a walk until both Maxwell and DH Kuhio Aloy struck out. Iredale blasted a two-run shot to left center for his 10th homer of the year to put the Razorbacks ahead by four, 6-2. Kozeal and Helfrick strung together back-to-back singles, and Missouri placed RHP Ben Smith on the mound in relief of Kaden Jacobi.
Second baseman Nolan Souza roped a single to center to fashion Kozeal while Helfrick moved up to third. After Souza stole second base, CF Justin Thomas Jr. capped off the rally with a two-run single up the middle to give the Hogs a comfortable 9-2 lead.
Missouri picked up a run in the top of the fifth after Hernandez walked and Basler doubled to put runners in scoring position to start off the inning. Knutson pushed Hernandez across with a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the deficit to six. Root sat down the next two hitters to end the frame.
Root tossed five innings in his eighth start of the year while picking up his fifth win of the season. He allowed three runs, three hits and two walks while carving up seven batters on 98 pitches (59 strikes).
The Hogs plated another five runs in the bottom of the fifth to set up the run-rule victory. The Aloy brothers both drew a walk with one out, and Iredale reached on an error to load the bases. Kozeal slashed a two-run double to score both of the Aloy brothers while Iredale moved to third.
Southpaw Cayden Nicoletto was inserted on the bump to hold off the Razorbacks, but Helfrick walked to reload the bases. Souza drew a walk of his own to push across Iredale to lengthen the lead, 12-3. Thomas cashed in Kozeal on an infield single to third, and a fielding error allowed Helfrick to come around and score to hand Arkansas an 11-run advantage.
The Razorbacks put the icing on the cake with another rally in the bottom of the sixth. Arkansas quickly loaded the bases with a walk by Maxwell, Kuhio Aloy getting hit by a pitch, and Iredale drawing a four-pitch walk. Kozeal singled to right center to score Kuhio Aloy and pinch runner Caron Boles to finish out a 4-for-5 day at the plate with five RBIs.
Pinch hitter Zane Becker walked to load the bases once more, and Missouri went to the bullpen again. After LHP Kadden Drew relieved RHP Jaylen Merchant, Souza drew an RBI walk to put Arkansas up by 14, 17-3. Thomas drove in a run with a walk of his own, and Davalan was hit by a pitch to score Becker. After pinch hitter Michael Anderson struck out swinging, Boles singled up the middle to scratch the Hog’s 20th run of the game. Gabe Fraser later drove in a run of his own on a two-out talk to cap off the seven-run rally.
RHP Dylan Carter and RHP Will McEntire each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Carter picked up two strikeouts in the top of the sixth, and McEntire carved up two of his own to shut the door in the top of the seventh.
HOGS WIN! pic.twitter.com/eJKE4QUhIj
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) April 6, 2025
The Razorbacks and Tigers will finish the series on Sunday with a doubleheader at Baum-Walker Stadium. Both games will be seven innings of regulation. The first pitch for the first game is slated for 1 p.m., and the second game will start 45 minutes after the first game concludes.