No. 8 Arkansas (42-12, 19-10 SEC) threw together some big innings to even the series against the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers (41-14, 16-13 SEC), 8-6, on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks crushed three home runs on the night to go along with # base hits.
Arkansas baseball vs Tennessee: Game two
Tennessee did the exact same thing as yesterday by taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. 2B Dean Curley led off the frame with a double to right center. After RF Reese Chapman lined out to second base and DH Levi Clark grounded out to advance the runner to third, C Cannon Peebles drove in Curley with an RBI single to left field.
Arkansas also did the same thing it did yesterday by putting up two runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead. 2B Camden Kozeal led off with a single to center, and 3B Brent Iredale gave the Hogs a 2-1 lead with a two-run home run to left center for his 13th homer of the season. But the Razorbacks were not done yet. CF Justin Thomas Jr. legged out an infield single, and LF Charles Davalan laced a double to right center to place runners in scoring position. SS Wehiwa Aloy drove in Thomas on an RBI groundout to second to extend the lead to two and cap off the three-run rally.
Tennessee battled back in the top of the third, with 1B Andrew Fischer leading off with a double to right center. After CF Hunter Ensley flew out to left field, LF Dalton Bargo plated Fischer with an RBI double to left to cut the lead to one. Curley legged out an infield single to short while Bargo moved over to third base, and RHP Aiden Jimenez was relieved by LHP Cole Gibler.
Jimenez went 2.1 innings in his first start of the year (18th appearance) while allowing four runs, seven hits and no walks or strikeouts on 43 pitches (31 strikes).
Gibler struck out Chapman for the second out of the inning but allowed a walk to Clark to load the bases. Peebles came through again for the Volunteers with a two-run single up the middle to snatch the lead back, 4-3. 3B Manny Marin grounded into a force out to end the inning and conclude the three-spot.
Arkansas’s offense stayed hot in the bottom of the third. DH Kuhio Aloy was hit by a pitch, and C Ryder Helfrick smoked a two-run homer to left center for his ninth dinger of the year to give the Razorbacks the lead back.
Brent Iredale’s amazing catch
With one out in the top of the fourth, Fischer fouled a 2-1 pitch off the end of the bat past the third base line. Iredale laid out to make the catch while crashing headfirst into the wall. After being checked on, he remained in the game and got a standing ovation from the crowd. Ensley grounded out to third to end the inning, with Iredale making the routine play to prove that he was okay.
RF Logan Maxwell launched his 10th home run of the season with a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth with one out to lengthen the lead to two.
Arkansas kept the pedal to the metal in the bottom of the fifth, with Iredale working a one-out walk to begin the rally. After 1B Reese Robinett struck out, Thomas grounded a ball to short, and the ball was overthrown by SS Gavin Kilen to second. Iredale scored while Thomas ran to third base on the throwing error. Davalan cashed him in with an RBI single to right field to give the Hogs an 8-4 lead. This RBI single knocked LHP Liam Doyle out of the game after allowing a season-high eight runs (six earned) and three home runs in 4.2 innings.
Gibler fired 3.1 scoreless innings of relief while allowing three hits and a walk with three strikeouts on 61 pitches (39 strikes). LHP Parker Coil relieved him with two outs and a runner on first in the top of the sixth and made Ensley line out to right to end the inning after giving up a double to Fischer.
Tennessee got right back in it in the top of the seventh with Chapman lining a two-out double to right center. Clark cut the deficit in half with a two-run home run to right field. Coil forced Peebles to ground out to short to end the frame.
Coil was relieved by RHP Christian Foutch to open up the top of the eighth. Coil delivered 1.1 innings out of the pen while surrendering two runs and three hits with two strikeouts on 27 pitches (18 strikes). Foutch supplied the Hogs with two scoreless frames while picking up his fourth save of the year. He allowed a hit, a walk, hit a batter and struck out one on 31 pitches (18 strikes) in his 18th appearance of the season.
The Razorbacks and the Volunteers will finish the regular season on Saturday afternoon in a rubber match at Baum-Walker Stadium. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.