Bulldogs blast nine home runs, power past Razorbacks in rubber match
With the wind blowing out at Baum-Walker Stadium in the series finale between No. 5 Georgia (32-9, 13-5 SEC) and No. 16 Arkansas (26-15, 9-9 SEC), things were shaping up to be a slugfest. With Georgia nearly doubling Arkansas’ home run total on the season coming in (104 vs. 55), Arkansas would have to try and keep the ball down and play perfect defense.
Arkansas did neither of those things, allowing nine home runs for the first time in the Dave Van Horn era and committing six errors for the first time since 2016 (March 5, Eastern Illinois), en route to a 26-14 loss.
Arkansas kept serving the ball over the middle of the plate and Georgia kept hitting them. Catcher Daniel Jackson hit his 18th, 19th and 20th of the year. He’s now just 2 stolen bases from a 20/20 season with still 4 weeks of the regular season left.
Arkansas hung tough with Georgia through the first few innings, even jumping out to a 6-1 lead in the bottom of the second when Camden Kozeal became the second Razorback to reach double-digits in home runs this season with a two-run shot.
That lead quickly disappeared in the very next half inning when Georgia put up a six-spot thanks to back-to-back home runs from Jackson and Ryan Wynn. Wynn had a multi-homer game himself.
Arkansas tied the game back up at 9 in the fifth when Ryder Helfrick hit his team-leading 13th home run, a 3-run shot.
Georgia eventually overpowered the Razorbacks, scoring in every inning except the second and punctuating their 26-run, 21-hit performance with an 11-run 9th inning in which Georgia sent 15 hitters to the plate.
Michael O’Shaughnessy homered twice in the inning, including a grand slam as part of an 8-RBI day. Brennan Hudson also hit two home runs in the game. Georgia scored all the runs despite their No. 3 and No. 4 hitters in the lineup going a combined 0-for-10. Henry Allen, the cleanup hitter, did reach base four times via 3 walks and a hit by pitch.
Georgia reliever Matt Scott did not turn in the prettiest line, allowing 5 runs in 4 ⅓ innings of work, but given the circumstances, held the Razorbacks largely in check. Georgia’s first two pitchers, Grant Edwards and Paul Farley combined to record just six outs.
Carter Rutenbar reached base in all six plate appearances in the leadoff spot and raised his batting average to .344. Eight of the nine starters recorded a hit. Zack Stewart went 0-for-6, snapping a modest four-game hitting streak.
Arkansas faces Missouri State in the midweek matchup 6 p.m. Tuesday inside Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks lost the first meeting between the two teams, 15-14. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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The No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks (26-14, 9-8 SEC) look to clinch a series over the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (31-9, 12-5 SEC) after seeing its six-game winning streak snapped in the middle game of the series Saturday.
Arkansas sends lefty Parker Coil (1-0, 2.10 ERA) to the mound, their third different Game 3 starter in as many weeks. Georgia also has a revolving door in the series finale starter role. Righty Grant Edwards (0-1, 6.75 ERA) gets the ball for the Bulldogs to try and clinch the team’s fifth SEC series win in six weeks.
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
1B Carter Rutenbar
LF Damian Ruiz
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
2B Nolan Souza
CF Maika Niu
RF Zack Stewart
DH Kuhio Aloy
3B TJ Pompey
LHP Parker Coil
Georgia:
3B Tre Phelps
C Daniel Jackson
CF Rylan Lujo
LF Henry Allen
DH Michael O’Shaughnessy
2B Ryan Wynn
1B Brennan Hudson
SS Kolby Branch
RFKenny Ishikawa
RHP Grant Edwards
Bottom 9th:
- Joe Nottingham replaced Brown
- Aloy singled to center
- Pompey singled to center, Aloy to second
- Rutenbar singled to right, Aloy to third, Pompey to second
- Ruiz walked, Aloy scored, Pompey to third, Rutenbar to second, Georgia 26, Arkansas 12
- Kozeal flied out to center, Pompey scored, Georgia 26, Arkansas 13
- Helfrick grounded out to the pitcher, Rutenbar to third, Ruiz to second, 2 outs
- Souza walked
- Niu walked, Rutenbar scored, Ruiz to third, Souza to second, Georgia 26, Arkansas 14
- Jordan Stephens replaced Nottingham
- Stewart lined out to left, 3 outs
Top 9th:
- Allen walked
- O’Shaughnessy homered to right center, Allen scored, Georgia 17, Arkansas 11
- Wynn walked
- Peyton Lee replaced Brissey
- Hudson flied out to right, 1 out
- Branch doubled to left, Wynn to third
- Ishikawa singled to left, Wynn scored, Branch to third, Georgia 18, Arkansas 11
- Phelps singled to right center, Branch scored, Ishikawa to third, Georgia 19, Arkansas 11
- Jackson singled to short, Ishikawa scored, Phelps to second, Georgia 20, Arkansas 11
- Lujo reached on a fielder’s choice, Jackson advanced to second on a throwing error by the shortstop, Phelps to third
- Allen hit by pitch, Phelps scored, Jackson to third, Lujo to second, Georgia 21, Arkansas 11
- O’Shaughnessy homered to right, Jackson scored, Lujo scored, Allen scored, Georgia 25, Arkansas 11
- Wynn homered to right, Georgia 26, Arkansas 11
- Carson Brumbaugh replaced Lee
- Hudson hit by a pitch
- Branch lined out to third, 2 outs
- Ty Peeples replaced Ishikawa
- Peeples struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Souza popped out to short, 1 out
- Niu struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Stewart struck out looking, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- Mark Brissey replaced Eaves
- Hudson singled to center
- Branch singled to third, bunt, Hudson to second
- Ishikawa grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Branch out at second, Hudson to third, 2 outs
- Phelps reached on catcher’s interference
- Jackson reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, Hudson scored, Phelps to third
- Jackson advanced to second
- Lujo grounded out to short, 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Stewart flied out to center, 1 out
- Aloy singled to left
- Pompey walked, Aloy to second
- Rutenbar walked, Aloy to third, Pompey to second
- Zach Brown replaced Scott
- Ruiz singled to left, Aloy scored, Pompey scored, Rutenbar to second, Georgia 14, Arkansas 11
- Kozeal grounded into a fielder’s choice, short to second, Ruiz out at second, 2 outs
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Jackson homered to left center, Georgia 14, Arkansas 9
- Lujo flied out to center, 1 out
- Allen walked
- O’Shaughnessy lined out to left, 2 outs
- Wynn grounded out to third, 3 outs
Daniel Jackson needs 2 stolen bases to complete a 20/20 season. 4 full SEC series left to go. Runaway winner for first team All-SEC catcher, despite the talent around the league.
Bottom 6th:
- Kozeal grounded out to short, 1 out
- Helfrick singled to center
- Souza struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Niu struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- O’Shaughnessy flied out to center, 1 out
- Wynn flied out to right, 2 outs
- Hudson homered to right, Georgia 12, Arkansas 9
- Branch walked
- Branch stole second
- Ishikawa singled to left, Branch scored, Georgia 13, Arkansas 9
- Steele Eaves replaced Fisher
- Phelps struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Stewart fouled out to right, 1 out
- Aloy singled to center
- Pompey struck out looking, 2 outs
- Rutenbar singled to center, Aloy to second
- Ruiz flied out to right, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Colin Fisher replaced Gaeckle
- Hudson struck out swinging, 1 out
- Branch reached on a missed catch error by the first baseman
- Ishikawa singled to right, Branch to second
- Phelps reached on a fielder’s choice, Ishikawa out at second unassisted, Branch to third, Phelps to first, 2 outs
- Branch scored on a wild pitch, Phelps to second, Georgia 10, Arkansas 9
- Phelps advanced to third on a wild pitch
- Jackson walked
- Lujo singled to short, Phelps scored, Jackson to second, Georgia 11, Arkansas 9
- Allen grounded out to short, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Rutenbar singled to center
- Ruiz walked, Rutenbar to second
- Kozeal flied out to center, 1 out
- Helfrick homered to left, Rutenbar scored, Ruiz scored, Georgia 9, Arkansas 9
- Souza grounded out to second, 2 outs
- Niu grounded out to short, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Phelps hit by a pitch
- Jackson reached on a fielding error by the shortstop, Phelps to second
- Lujo popped up to second on the infield fly, 1 out
- Allen fouled out to first, 2 outs
- O’Shaughnessy singled to right, Jackson scored, Phelps scored, O’Shaughnessy advanced to second on the throw, Georgia 9, Arkansas 6
- Wynn struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Matt Scott replace Farley
- Souza lined out to short, 1 out
- Niu walked
- Stewart flied out to left, 2 outs
- Niu stole second
- Aloy walked
- Pompey popped up to short, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Ishikawa doubled to right center
- Phelps singled to left, Ishikawa to third
- Jackson homered to center, Ishikawa scored, Phelps scored, Arkansas 6, Georgia 4
- Lujo lined out to third, 1 out
- Allen walked
- O’Shaughnessy struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Gabe Gaeckle replaced Coil
- Wynn homered to center, Allen scored, Georgia 6, Arkansas 6
- Hudson homered to right, Georgia 7, Arkansas 6
- Branch singled to center
- Ishikawa popped up to third, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Aloy flied out to right, 1 out
- Pompey struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Rutenbar walked
- Ruiz doubled to left, Rutenbar scored, Arkansas 4, Georgia 1
- Kozeal homered to right, Ruiz scored, Arkansas 6, Georgia 1
- Helfrick grounded out to second, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- O’Shaughnessy hit by a pitch
- Wynn struck out swinging, 1 out
- Hudson lined out to left, 2 outs
- Branch struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Rutenbar walked
- Ruiz walked, Rutenbar to second
- Kozeal flied out to center, Rutenbar to third, Ruiz to second
- Paul Farley replaced Edwards
- Helfrick walked
- Souza singled to short, Rutenbar scored, Ruiz to third, Helfrick to second, Georgia 1, Arkansas 1
- Niu singled to center, Ruiz scored, Helfrick scored, Arkansas 3, Georgia 1
- Stewart grounded into a double play, first to short to first, Niu out at second, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Phelps struck out looking, 1 out
- Jackson homered to right, Georgia 1, Arkansas 0
- Lujo flied out to left, 2 outs
- Allen popped up to second, 3 outs
