No. 4 Arkansas (4-1) was handed its first loss of the season by Kansas State (2-4), 3-2, on Friday in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Razorbacks have been upset by the Wildcats for the second straight time since losing to them in the Fayetteville Regional last season.
Kansas State struck first in the top of the third inning thanks to some two-out hitting. CF Micah Dean worked a full-count walk and later stole second base. 3B Dee Kennedy roped a single through the left side to plate Dean to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
Kansas State added another run in the top of the fourth to push the advantage to two. SS Maximus Martin, who was originally going to transfer to Arkansas during the 2024 offseason until flipping to the Wildcats, led off the frame with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. 2B Shintaro Inoue cashed in Martin on a single to right.
RHP Gabe Gaeckle tossed 5.2 innings in his second start of the year while striking out two batters and allowing two runs, five hits and four walks on a career-high 99 pitches (56 strikes) in a no-decision. He was relieved by RHP Tate McGuire in the top of the sixth with two outs.
Arkansas tied the game in the bottom of the sixth thanks to some brotherly power. SS Wehiwa Aloy led off the inning with a solo shot to right field off of LHP Jacob Frost to cut the lead to one for his second home run of the season. One batter later, DH Kuhio Aloy smacked a solo home run of his own for his third dinger of the year to tie the game, 2-2.
Kansas State took the lead right back in the top of the seventh when 1B David Bishop led off the inning with a single out of the nine-hole. Dean drove him home with an RBI double to left with one out to put the Wildcats back in front, 3-2. McGuire picked off Dean for the second out and got Kennedy to strike out swinging to end the frame.
After both 2B Noland Souza and CF Justin Thomas Jr. struck out looking to lead off the bottom of the seventh, CF Charles Davalan reached by getting hit by a pitch. Wehiwa Aloy singled up the middle, but Dean threw Davalan out at third base to end the threat.
RHP Will McEntire came out of the bullpen in the top of the ninth for his second appearance of the year and gave up a leadoff single to C Bear Madliak. Madliak moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out. Bishop flew out to short center field, and Madliak was thrown out at home by Thomas to end the inning and keep the Wildcats’ lead to one.
RF Kendall Diggs led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left field, but C Ryder Helfrick flew out to left, just missing getting it over the wall. Souza struck out swinging, and Thomas grounded out to third to end the game.
The Razorbacks will take on the No. 22 TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday for the second day of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m., and the matchup will be streamed on FloSports.com.