No. 3 Arkansas (20-2, 2-1 SEC) put on a show on offense while also shutting out the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (12-8, 1-2 Summit), 16-0, Wednesday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium to finish up the two-game midweek series in run-rule fashion. The Razorbacks have now won eight of their 20 games via run rule.
Arkansas baseball vs Oral Roberts: Game 2
Arkansas got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning thanks to some two-out hitting. 2B Nolan Souza made his way on with a two-out walk and stole second base while CF Charles Davalan singled to the left side to put runners on the corners. Davalan advanced to second on a wild pitch to put men in scoring position, and SS Wehiwa Aloy drove both runners in with a two-run single to the right side to give the Hogs the early lead.
LHP Colin Fisher fired two shutout innings in his third start of the year (eighth appearance) while striking out four batters on 27 pitches (18 strikes). The only base runner he allowed was when he hit a batter in the top of the second. RHP Tate McGuire took over on the mound to start the top of the third.
The clutch two-out hitting did not stop for Arkansas when 3B Brent Iredale was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the third. 1B Camden Kozeal roped an RBI double down the right field line to extend the lead, 3-0, while picking up his 13th RBI of the season.
Oral Roberts starter RHP Luke Puffinbarger was relieved by RP Price Allman to begin the bottom of the fourth. Little did the Golden Eagles know that this would lead to a giant rally for the Hogs. C Ryder Helfrick jumped on the new pitcher by legging out a leadoff infield single to third, and Souza crushed his fourth home run of the year in a two-run shot to left center to make it a 5-0 game.
Longest homer of the season (448 feet) courtesy of @NolanSouza808 💣 pic.twitter.com/MAxgGLX90V
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) March 19, 2025
The Razorbacks loaded up the bases with Davalan singling to left field, Wehiwa Aloy doubling to right center, and LF Logan Maxwell drawing a walk. RHP Jared Ure relieved Allman after he failed to record an out.
DH Kuhio Aloy drew an RBI walk to keep the line moving, and Iredale cashed in Wehiwa Aloy from third on an RBI fielder’s choice with Maxwell getting thrown out at third. Kozeal laced a single to right field to score Kuhio Aloy from second and RF Kendall Diggs reached on a fielding error that allowed Iredale to cross the plate. Helfrick singled to left field to load the bases again for the Hogs while Souza plated another run on a fielder’s choice. Davalan reached on an error at second that allowed Diggs to score from third, and Ure was relieved by RHP Hudson Hart.
Wehiwa Aloy cleared the bases with a two-run triple to center field to give Arkansas a commanding 13-0 lead. Maxwell rocketed a two-run bomb to right field for his career-high fifth dinger of the year to cap off a 12-run rally.
The fun carried into the bottom of the fifth when Helfrick, Souza and pinch hitter Justin Thomas Jr. loaded the bases with back-to-back-to-back walks with one out. After RHP Connor Floyd came out of the bullpen in relief of RHP Brayden Mackey, Gabe Fraser drove in Helfrick on an RBI fielder’s choice to put a little extra icing on the cake for the Hogs.
McGuire racked up three scoreless innings in his relief appearance while RHP Dylan Carter and RHP Steele Eaves each threw a scoreless frame to end the contest. This is the second shutout this season thrown by the Arkansas pitching staff.
The Razorbacks will welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks to Baum-Walker Stadium for a three-game series on Friday for the second weekend of Southeastern Conference play. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+.