No. 2 Arkansas (34-7, 13-5 SEC) split Friday's doubleheader against the Texas A&M Aggies (23-16, 8-10 SEC) at Baum-Walker Stadium but lost its first home series since May of 2022. The Razorbacks still hold their second-place position in the Southeastern Conference standings.
Game 1: Arkansas 11, Texas A&M 5
RHP Gage Wood’s long-awaited return to the mound from injury did not start great. After allowing a leadoff walk to LF Terrence Kiel II, CF Jace LaViolette smashed a two-run home run to right field to give Texas A&M an early 2-0 lead. After striking out 3B Wyatt Henseler for the first out of the inning, Wood allowed a double to RF Caden Sorrell and a single to C Bear Harrison to put runners on the corners for the Aggies. After throwing just 20 pitches while recording one out in his third start of the year, Wood was relieved by RHP Ben Bybee.
SS Kaeden Kent kept the hit train going with an RBI single to left field to score Sorrell while Harrison moved to second base. Bybee struck out 1B Blake Binderup but gave up a walk to DH Hayden Schott to load the bases. Bybee calmed his nerves and carved up 2B Ben Royo to end the inning.
Arkansas responded immediately in the bottom of the first. LF Charles Davalan led off with a double to left field, and SS Wehiwa Aloy singled up the middle to place runners on the corners. RF Carson Boles plated Davalan on a sacrifice fly to center field to put the Hogs on the board, 3-1. DH Kuhio Aloy singled to left field and 1B Rocco Peppi was hit by a pitch to load up the bases. 3B Brent Iredale cut the deficit to one with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field to score Wehiwa Aloy. C Ryder Helfrick struck out swinging to end the inning, but not after five total runs were scored in the opening frame.
Texas A&M got a run back in the top of the second with a solo shot off the bat of Henseler to build the lead back up to two, 4-2. Wehiwa Aloy brought the game back within one with a solo shot of his own to lead off the bottom of the third for his 15th home run of the year.
Bybee was relieved by RHP Gabe Gaeckle in the top of the fourth with one out and a runner on first. Bybee fired three frames out of the bullpen while allowing a run, three hits and two walks with four strikeouts on 44 pitches (31 strikes).
Gaeckle gave up a single to LaViolette to put runners on first and second. Both runners moved into scoring position after Henseler grounded out to short. Gaeckle picked off Kiel at third to get the Razorbacks out of the jam.
Arkansas tied up the game thanks to a two-out solo home run by CF Justin Thomas Jr. to left center out of the nine-hole.
The Razorbacks obtained the lead in the bottom half of the fifth with Wehiwa Aloy and Carson Boles leading off the frame with back-to-back singles. Kuhio Aloy drove in his older brother on an RBI single to center field to put Arkansas in front, 5-4, while Boles advanced to third base. LHP Justin Lamkin was relieved by RHP Brad Rudis, and Logan Maxwell came in as a pinch hitter for Peppi.
Maxwell was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Reese Robinett was put in the game as a pinch runner for him. Iredale drove in a pair of runs with a two-run double to left field to put Arkansas further ahead by three. After Helfrick struck out, 2B Camden Kozeal cashed in Robinett from third on an RBI groundout to first. Thomas followed up with a two-run dinger to left center for his second home run of the game to cap off the six-run rally, 10-4.
Binderup chopped the lead down to five with a solo home run to left field off of Gaeckle to lead off the top of the eighth. Gaeckle shook off the mistake and retried the side in order.
The Hogs placed runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the eighth, with Thomas working a walk and Davalan reaching on a single. Wehiwa Aloy plated Thomas on an RBI groundout to third base to extend the lead back to six while Davalan moved to second.
Gaeckle hurled 5.2 innings of relief in a bounce-back performance in his first relief appearance of the season (nine games started). He allowed just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters on 97 pitches (62 strikes) to pick up his third victory of the year on the mound.
Game 2: Texas A&M 9, Arkansas 2
Texas A&M seized a 1-0 lead early in the top of the first inning on a solo shot by CF Jace LaViolette with one out off of LHP Landon Beidelschies.
Arkansas tied the game up in the bottom of the third inning with LF Charles Davalan leading off with a single and advancing to second base on a groundout by SS Wehiwa Aloy. RF Logan Maxwell singled to right center to place runners on the corners, and DH Kuhio Aloy plated Davalan from third on a sacrifice fly to left field.
Charles Davalan’s Great Defensive Play
C Bear Harrison drew a two-out walk in the top of the fourth and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. 1B Blake Binderup cracked a single to left field, but Davalan kept the game tied by firing a throw home to throw out Harrison, with C. Ryder Helfrick making the tag.
RHP Aiden Jimenez relieved Beidelschies to begin the top of the fifth inning. Beidelschies tossed four innings in his ninth start of the season (10th appearance) while allowing a run, three hits and two walks with four strikeouts on 73 pitches (47 strikes).
After recording the first two outs of the inning, Jimenez gave up a single to RF Terrence Kiel II. LaViolette dug in and smashed a two-run blast to homer to left center for his second dinger of the game to put the Aggies back on top, 3-1.
The Hogs immediately fired back with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth, with Davalan singling up the middle and Wehiwa Aloy lacing a double to left field to place runners in scoring position. Maxwell scored Davalan and moved up Wehiwa Aloy to third base on an RBI sacrifice fly to left to cut the lead to one. LHP Myles Patton was relieved by LHP Luke Jackson, who went on to hold the runner at third by forcing Kuhio Aloy to line out to short and striking out 2B Camden Kozeal.
Play was stopped for 30 minutes after the conclusion of the sixth inning due to a weather delay. LHP Cole Gibler relieved Jimenez after the delay was over.
2B Ben Royo led off the top of the seventh by hitting a solo home run to left field to build Texas A&M’s lead back to two, 4-2. After LF Jamal George followed up with a double to left field, Gibler was relieved by RHP Carson Wiggins after facing just two batters. George advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kiel, and LaViolette was intentionally walked to put runners on the corners.
3B Wyatt Henseler drove in George on an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to extend the lead to three. After LaViolette advanced to second on a wild pitch, DH Caden Sorrell was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second. Harrison dropped an RBI single to right center to cash in LaViolette to give the Aggies a four-run lead, 6-2.
RHP Christian Foutch was placed on the mound to start the top of the eighth in relief of Wiggins and posted a perfect frame with two strikeouts.
After Kiel grounded out to lead off the top of the ninth, LaViolette drew a walk, and Henseler singled to right field to place runners on first and second. LHP Colin Fisher was placed on the mound and threw a wild pitch to move runners into scoring position. Sorrell drove them both in with a two-run double to right field to give Texas A&M a six-run lead and strike the dagger into the heart of Arkansas. RHP Will McEntire
After Kiel grounded out to lead off the top of the ninth, LaViolette drew a walk, and Henseler singled to right field to place runners on first and second. LHP Colin Fisher was placed on the mound and threw a wild pitch to move runners into scoring position. Sorrell drove them both in with a two-run double to right field to give Texas A&M a six-run lead, 8-2, and strike the dagger into the heart of Arkansas.
RHP Will McEntire was brought out of the bullpen and forced Harrison to line out to short for the second out of the inning. SS Kaeden Kent scored Sorrell with an RBI single to center field to throw on a little more insurance and cap off the three-run inning.
The Razorbacks will stay home and rest up for a two-game midweek series against the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans starting on Tuesday. The first pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+.