Razorbacks use key Alabama error to spark 6-run inning to topple Crimson Tide
No. 22 Arkansas (22-13, 6-7 SEC) scored six runs in the eighth inning against the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (26-9, 8-5 SEC) to pick up a win in the series opener, 7-5 and snap Alabama’s 18-game home winning streak.
For the first seven innings, Arkansas’ offense was similar to what fans had become accustomed to, strikeouts and low contact without much production. Alabama ace Tyler Fay held Arkansas to just one run across 6 innings of work, striking out 4. Fay got some help in the fifth when Alabama executed a perfect relay from center field to cut down what would have been the go-ahead run at the time in the 1-1 game.
Arkansas found much more success against the Alabama bullpen. Camden Kozeal led off the eighth with a solo home run to left on a 0-2 pitch to cut the Alabama lead to 3-2. Zack Stewart followed two batters later with a game-tying RBI single.
Alabama coach Rob Vaughn went to his closer Hagan Banks with two outs in the inning with runners on second and third in a tie game. Banks looked to have escaped the inning with a routine groundball to short, but shortstop Justin Lebron, considered a consensus top-10 prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft, threw the ball wide of the bag, allowing two runs to score.
TJ Pompey, who had been mired in a 1-for-16 slump, followed two-pitches later with a two-run home run to stretch the lead to 7-3.
Arkansas got another great start from Hunter Dietz, starting for the first time in a series opener, allowing just 2 runs on a pair of solo home runs across 6 innings. In his last four starts, Dietz has gone 23 ⅔ innings with just a 3.04 ERA, all against SEC opponents.
Razorback coach Dave Van Horn went to Gabe Gaeckle for his first appearance out of the bullpen in the seventh. Gaeckle allowed the No. 8 and No. 9 hitters to reach before allowing a run to score on a groundout. Gaeckle did strand two runners in scoring position to keep the Hogs in the game.
Van Horn went straight to his closer Ethan McElvain in the eighth. McElvain put runners on the corners to start the inning but bounced back with a pair of popups and a strikeout.
McElvain put the first two on in the ninth again, but did not have such luck a second time. Landon Schaefer, who came into the game as a pinch-runner, misplayed a pair of fly balls to right field, allowing Alabama to plate 2 runs and bring the tying run to the plate with no outs. Lefty Parker Coil retired all 3 hitters he faced to seal the game for the Hogs.
Arkansas looks to clinch the series 4 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Live Updates:
No. 22 Arkansas (21-13, 5-7 SEC) hits the road again to face off against one of the hottest teams in the SEC in the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (26-8, 8-4 SEC). After starting conference play 0-3, the Crimson Tide have rattled off three straight series wins over Florida, Auburn and Oklahoma to vault themselves into clear third in the SEC race. Alabama starts righty Tyler Fay (6-2, 4.07 ERA), who has the lone solo no-hitter in an SEC game this season against Florida. Arkansas starts lefty Hunter Dietz (3-2, 3.70 ERA) in the game one slot for the first time in his career.
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
LF Carter Rutenbar
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
2B Nolan Souza
RF Zack Stewart
1B Reese Robinett
DH Kuhio Aloy
CF Christian Turner
3B TJ Pompey
LHP Hunter Dietz
Alabama:
CF Bryce Fowler
SS Justin Lebron
RF Brady Neal
3B Jason Torres
C John Lemm
DH Eric Hines
LF Chase Kroberger
1B Luke Vaughn
2B Brennan Holt
RHP Tyler Fay
Play-By-Play
Bottom 9th:
- Fowler hit by a pitch
- Lebron singled to right, Fowler to third
- Lebron to second on defensive indifference
- Neal singled to right, Fowler scored, Lebron scored, Arkansas 7, Alabama 5
- Parker Coil replaced McElvain
- Torres flied out to center, 1 out
- Lemm grounded out to second, Neal to second, 2 outs
- Hines struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 9th:
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 1 out
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Souza grounded out to third, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Ethan McElvain replaced Gaeckle
- Lemm hit by a pitch
- Hines singled to right, Lemm to third
- Kroberger fouled out to the catcher, 1 out
- Vaughn popped up to second, 2 outs
- Holt struck out looking, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- Kozeal homered to left, Alabama 3, Arkansas 2
- Helfrick grounded out to second, 1 out
- Souza doubled to right
- Stewart singled to right, Souza scored, Alabama 3, Arkansas 3
- Robinett struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Landon Schaefer replaced Stewart at first
- Aloy doubled to left, Schaefer to third
- Hagan Banks replaced Heiberger
- Niu reached on an error by the shortstop, Schaefer scored, Aloy scored, Niu to second, Arkansas 5, Alabama 3
- Pompey homered to left, Niu scored, Arkansas 7, Alabama 3
- Evan Steckmesser replaced Banks
- Rutenbar grounded out to second, 3 outs
What a time for Kuhio Aloy to get his first hit since March 29. Go-ahead run to third with two outs in the form of Landon Schaefer (pinch-ran for Stewart).
Arkansas finally caught a break. A grounder to short that should have been the third out, sending the game tied to the bottom of the eighth. Instead, a two-run error followed by a two-run homer. 7-3 Hogs. Hogs have plated 6 in the inning.
Bottom 7th:
- Gabe Gaeckle replaced Dietz
- Vaughn walked
- Holt singled to right, Vaughn to third
- Fowler grounded into a fielder’s choice, Holt out at second, second to short, Vaughn scored, Fowler to first, Alabama 3, Arkansas 1
- Lebron grounded out to second, Fowler to second, 2 outs
- Neal intentionally walked
- Fowled advanced to third on a wild pitch, Neal to second
- Torres struck out swinging, 3 outs
Nice job by Gaeckle to strand two in scoring position. Keeps this one within a bloop and a blast territory.
Top 7th:
- Matthew Heiberger replaced Fay
- Aloy walked
- Maika Niu replaced Turner
- Niu grounded out, pitcher to second to first, 1 out
- Pompey struck out looking, 2 outs
- Rutenbar struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 6th:
- Neal homered to left, Alabama 2, Arkansas 1
- Torres reached on an error by the second baseman
- Lemm struck out swinging, 1 out
- Hines struck out looking, 2 outs
- Kroberger grounded out to short, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 1 out
- Souza grounded out to short, 2 outs
- Stewart hit by a pitch
- Robinett flied out to right, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Vaughn struck out swinging, 1 out
- Holt walked
- Fowler struck out looking, 2 outs
- Lebron struck out looking, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Aloy struck out swinging, 1 out
- Turner singled to left
- Pompey flied out to center, 2 outs
- Rutenbar singled to right, Turner to third
- Kozeal doubled to right, Turner scored, Rutenbar out at home, center to short to catcher, 3 outs, Arkansas 1, Alabama 1
Bottom 4th:
- Neal struck out swinging, 1 out
- Torres struck out looking, 2 outs
- Lemm walked
- Hines singled to left, Lemm to second
- Kroberger grounded out to short, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Helfrick grounded out to second, 1 outs
- Souza grounded out to third, 2 outs
- Stewart walked
- Robinett struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Holt grounded out to second, 1 out
- Fowler flied out to left, 2 outs
- Lebron grounded out to third, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Turner fouled out to short, 1 out
- Pompey struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Rutenbar singled to right
- Kozeal flied out to center, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Lemm grounded out to first, 1 out
- Hines homered to left, Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Kroberger flied out to left, 2 outs
- Vaughn grounded out to first, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- Souza walked
- Stewart flied out to left, 1 out
- Robinett flied out to center, 2 outs
- Aloy flied out to left, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Fowler walked
- Lebron lined out to right, 1 out
- Fowler advanced to second on a wild pitch
- Neal struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Torres struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Rutenbar grounded out to second, 1 out
- Kozeal grounded out to first, 2 outs
- Helfrick grounded out, pitcher to short to first, 3 outs
A pair of spectacular plays by the Tide from the middle infielders. Hogs go down in order on just nine pitches.
