Arkansas drops 2 of 3 to Kentucky in SEC weekend series

Razorbacks drop road series in clash of Top 10 teams, Bulldogs up next

From the University of Arkansas

arkansasrazorbacks.com

LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 2 Arkansas (40-9, 17-7 SEC) dropped the rubber game against No. 8 Kentucky (3510, 18-6 SEC), 7-4, Sunday afternoon at Kentucky Proud Park to suffer only its second weekend series loss of the season.

With Sunday’s setback, the Razorbacks lost a series to the Wildcats for the first time since 2012 and took a road series defeat in Lexington for the first time since 2011. Despite the series loss, Arkansas retains its lead atop the SEC Western Division standings going into next weekend’s home series against divisional foe and nationally ranked Mississippi State.

Hagen Smith tallied 14 strikeouts, and Kendall Diggs drove in a team-leading four RBI as Arkansas Kentucky 10-3, Friday night at Kentucky Proud Park.

Smith, who retired the first eight Wildcat batters he faced Friday night, was once again magnificent on the mound.

The junior left-hander allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out 14, as he recorded his team-leading 10th quality start and his ninth doubledigit strikeout game, a singleseason program record, of the year.

The Razorback ace, who earned the win to improve to a perfect 9-0, now boasts a jawdropping 1.36 ERA in 66.0 innings of work over 12 starts this season. Smith has allowed only 11 runs (10 earned) all year while striking out 125 opposing batters, which is tied for sixth most in a single season by an Arkansas pitcher.

After Kentucky opened the scoring in the bottom of the third, Arkansas would tie the ballgame in the fifth before posting a three-spot in the sixth and then breaking out for six runs in the seventh.

Peyton Stovall, who finished 2-for-5 with a two-bagger and two RBI, ripped a game-tying ground-rule double to left in the fifth, evening the score at 1-1.

Diggs’ one-out double in the sixth brought home two runs as Arkansas jumped out to a 3-1 advantage, its first lead of the game. Pinch-hitter Ross Lovich delivered a two-out RBI double later in the frame to extend the Hogs’ lead to three.

Ahead 4-1, the Razorbacks never looked back. Arkansas went on to score all six of its runs in the seventh with two outs and open a commanding 10-1 lead, the team’s most runs in an SEC game this season. Diggs delivered another massive blow in the six-run inning, scoring a pair on his single to center to start the game-changing rally.

Diggs, who was one of three Razorbacks along with Stovall and Hudson White to log a multi-hit game, finished the night 2-for-4 with a double and four RBI. White, meanwhile, went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the series- opening win.

In relief of Smith, right-handers Will McEntire (2.0 IP, 3 SO) and Dylan Carter (1.0 IP, 2 ER, 1 SO) worked the final three innings. McEntire struck out three in two scoreless frames to lower his season ERA to 3.33 in 46.0 innings over 22 games.

Game 2 Despite Hudson White’s tworun homer and Gage Wood’s six strikeouts, Arkansas lost to Kentucky, 11-3, Saturday afternoon in the game two of the series.

White’s two-run blast in the top of the second inning put Arkansas ahead early. The Razorback catcher, who finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI and a walk, connected on his second home run of the season, and his first home run since Opening Day against James Madison on Feb. 16.

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Staked with an early 2-0 lead, starter Brady Tygart, who had turned in quality starts in each of his previous two outings, lasted only three innings, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks before departing the ballgame. In relief of Tygart, right-handers Gage Wood (4.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 SO) and Koty Frank (0.2 IP, 3 ER, 1 SO) worked Saturday’s final five innings.

Wood’s strong relief outing saw him toss a career-long 4.1 innings and match his career high in strikeouts (6). For the season, the sophomore owns a 2.81 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 25.2 innings over 17 appearances, including one start. Peyton Stovall continued his tear at the plate, logging his third consecutive multi-hit game. The Razorback second baseman went 2-for-5 with an RBI on the afternoon to raise his season slash line to a team-leading .354/.421/.558.

After missing his previous start due to an injury, Mason Molina made his return to the mound and fired three innings of three-run ball with three walks and three strikeouts.

The junior left-hander departed after throwing 40 of 67 pitches for strikes and turned the ball over to right-hander Will McEntire, who was pitching for the second time in the series.

Kentucky tagged McEntire, who recorded only two outs in the fourth, for three runs to open a 6-0 lead entering the fifth. Arkansas, which did not record a hit over the first four innings, responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth after Hudson White, who finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk, tallied the Razorbacks’ first base knock of the game.

Wehiwa Aloy’s one-out single scored White from second base before Jared Sprague-Lott’s one-out sacrifice fly brought home Peyton Stovall, who logged his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, from third to cut the Hogs’ deficit to four.

Stovall came around to score again in the seventh on Kendall Diggs’ two-out RBI single, helping Arkansas close the gap to three. The Razorback second baseman would hit a leadoff solo shot in the top of the ninth to finish the afternoon 3-for-5, including a double and homer, with three runs scored and raise his season slash line to a team-leading .362/.426/.586.

Stovall, who missed the first 12 contests of the season due to a broken foot, leads the Razorbacks in hits (55) and is second on the team in doubles (10), home runs (8) and runs batted in (35) through his 37 games in action.

Right-handers Christian Foutch (1.1 IP, 1 SO) and Gabe Gaeckle (3.0 IP, 0 ER) were strong in relief, combining to work Sunday’s final 4.1 innings. Gaeckle’s lone blemish was an unearned run, which Kentucky scored on an error in the bottom of the eighth, as the true freshman lowered his season ERA to 2.27 in 31.2 innings over 17 relief appearances.

What’s Next?

Up next, Arkansas returns inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium to host Mississippi State in the final weekend home series of the season. First pitch between the Hogs and Bulldogs is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 10.

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