Hogs hold down Georgia in series opener for sixth straight win
No. 16 Arkansas (26-13, 9-7 SEC) held down a potent No.5 Georgia Bulldog (30-9, 11-5 SEC) offense to win the series opener 6-3 and win their sixth straight game, the longest winning streak of the season.
The Razorbacks jumped on Georgia ace Joey Volchko’s wildness in the first inning, tagging him for 3 runs on just one hit. Volchko walked the first two batters of the game and threw 32 pitches in the first inning.
Georgia came in leading the country with 100 home runs as a team and got a pair of solo shots against starter Hunter Dietz from Ryan Wynn and Daniel Jackson. Dietz held Georgia’s offense down to just those 2 runs and struck out 6 in 5 ⅓ innings of work. It’s the third straight start that Dietz has worked into at least the sixth inning.
The Razorbacks added a pair of runs in the fourth and Carter Rutenbar’s first SEC home run in the sixth, a solo shot that cleared the scoreboard in right field.
Gabe Gaeckle and Ethan McElvain combined for 3 ⅔ innings of relief, allowing just one run. McElvain stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the eighth, getting pinch hitter Cole Koniarsky to ground out to third to retire the side.
Georgia never got the tying run back to the plate in the ninth. Arkansas goes for its second straight SEC series win. First pitch against Georgia is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Live Updates:
No. 16 Arkansas (25-13, 8-7 SEC) returns home to take on the SEC-leading No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (30-8, 11-4 SEC). The Bulldogs enter Baum-Walker Stadium with an impressive resume, including a 1.5 game lead in the SEC and have 98 home runs as a team. Lefty Hunter Dietz (3-2, 3.61 ERA) will be tasked with slowing down a potent lineup that boasts the top two hitters in the conference by batting (Daniel Jackson and Tre Phelps). Georgia sends righty Joey Volchko (6-1, 3.38 ERA) to the mound, one of the most coveted transfer arms in the portal this offseason.
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
RF Carter Rutenbar
C Ryder Helfrick
SS Camden Kozeal
LF Damian Ruiz
2B Nolan Souza
CF Maika Niu
DH Kuhio Aloy
1B Reese Robinett
3B TJ Pompey
LHP Hunter Dietz
Georgia:
3B Tre Phelps
C Daniel Jackson
CF Rylan Lujo
1B Michael O’Shaughnessy
LF Henry Allen
DH Bryce Calloway
2B Ryan Wynn
SS Kolby Branch
RF Ryan Black
RHP Joey Volchko
Top 9th:
- Wynn struck out swinging, 1 out
- Branch walked
- Branch advanced to second on defensive indifference
- Black grounded out to second, Branch to third, 2 outs
- Phelps flied out to right, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Ruiz fouled out to first, 1 out
- Souza flied out to left, 2 outs
- Niu singled to third
- Aloy struck out looking, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- Phelps singled to right
- Jackson flied out to right, 1 out
- Lujo singled to center, Phelps to second
- Ethan McElvain replaced Gaeckle
- O’Shaughnessy struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Allen walked, Phelps to third, Lujo to second
- Cole Koniarsky replaced Oriach
- Phelps scored on a wild pitch, Lujo to third, Allen to second, Arkansas 6, Georgia 3
- Koniarsky grounded out to third, 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Pompey grounded out to short, 1 out
- Rutenbar homered to right, Arkansas 6, Georgia 2
- Helfrick flied out to left, 2 outs
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Wynn lined out to right, 1 out
- Branch lined out to left, 2 outs
- Black struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 6th:
- Souza walked
- Zach Brown replaced Volchko
- Souza stole second
- Niu struck out swinging, 1 out
- Aloy lined out to short, 2 outs
- Robinett lined out to center, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Jackson homered to right center, Arkansas 5, Georgia 2
- Lujo singled to left
- O’Shaughnessy struck out looking, 1 out
- Gabe Gaeckle replaced Dietz
- Allen grounded out to third, Lujo to second, 2 outs
- Jordy Oriach replaced Calloway
- Oriach struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Helfrick reached on a throwing error by the third baseman
- Kozeal grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Helfrick out at second, 2 outs
- Ruiz grounded out to second, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Wynn grounded out to short, 1 out
- Branch walked
- Black flied out to right, 2 outs
- Phelps struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Ruiz singled to center
- Souza walked
- Ruiz stole third, Souza stole second
- Niu flied out to center, Ruiz scored, Souza to third, 1 out, Arkansas 4, Georgia 1
- Aloy flied out to left, 2 outs
- Robinett singled to second, Souza scored, Arkansas 5, Georgia 1
- Pompey singled to left, Robinett to second
- Rutenbar struck out looking, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- O’Shaughnessy grounded out to second, 1 out
- Allen flied out to center, 2 outs
- Calloway flied out to right, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 1 out
- Helfrick singled to short
- Helfrick stole second
- Helfrick out at third, catcher to third base, 2 outs
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Wynn homered to left, Arkansas 3, Georgia 1
- Branch singled to center
- Black fouled out to third, 1 out
- Phelps singled to left, Branch to second
- Jackson flied out to right, 2 outs
- Lujo struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Aloy struck out swinging, 1 out
- Robinett struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Pompey struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- O’Shaughnessy struck out swinging, 1 out
- Allen lined out to short, 2 outs
- Calloway struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Rutenbar walked
- Helfrick walked, Rutenbar to second
- Rutenbar advanced to third on a wild pitch, Helfrick to second
- Kozeal flied out to right, Rutenbar scored, Helfrick to third, 1 out, Arkansas 1, Georgia 0
- Ruiz doubled to left, Helfrick scored, Arkansas 2, Georgia 0
- Ruiz advanced to third on a passed ball
- Souza struck out looking, 2 outs
- Ruiz scored on a wild pitch, Arkansas 3, Georgia 0
- Niu sturck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Phelps lined out to right, 1 out
- Jackson grounded out to the pitcher, 2 outs
- Lujo struck out swinging, 3 outs
