Razorbacks stage late rally to eke out win over Missouri to open series
No. 24 Arkansas (28-15, 10-9 SEC) scored 5 unanswered runs to avoid a crushing series-opening defeat against the Missouri Tigers (20-22, 3-16 SEC), 5-4.
Zack Stewart came up to the plate in the eighth inning with just 9 hits in 57 (.157) at-bats against SEC pitching, including 0-for-3 and 2 strikeouts to start the game. Stewart, who had not homered in conference play since the opening series against Mississippi State, launched the two-run home run to right field that ended up winning the game.
Missouri ambushed Arkansas starter Hunter Dietz in the first, sitting on the fastball. After Arkansas stranded the bases loaded in the top of the first, Jase Woita launched a solo homer on the first pitch that Dietz through.
Dietz then hit the No. 2 hitter before Blaize Ward hit a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw to give Missouri a 3-0 lead before Dietz recorded an out.
Arkansas’ ace settled in and scattered 5 hits outside the 2 home runs to still go 7 innings on 101 pitches, striking out 8.
The only other trouble Dietz faced was in the sixth. After a leadoff single and advancing to second on a wild pitch, Ward, a freshman from Maumelle, Arkansas and high school teammates with Razorback Peyton Lee, attempted to advance to third on a ball in front of him hit to the shortstop Camden Kozeal. Kozeal threw him out at third for the first out. Ward would have scored on a bloop base hit later in the inning if he stayed at second.
Arkansas couldn’t figure out Missouri starter Josh McDevitt, who struck out a career-high 11 in 6 ⅓. The Razorbacks put just enough good at-bats together to chase him from the game in the seventh.
Kuhio Aloy battled back from a 0-2 count to draw a 1-out walk, Reese Robinett doubled into the left field corner to put the tying run in scoring position. TJ Pompey struck out, continuing his feast or famine approach. Pompey after hitting a home run in the sixth, drawing a walk and striking out twice in the game has now seen 56.4% of his 140 plate appearances end in either a home run, walk or strikeout.
With Arkansas desperate for a 2-out hit, Carter Rutenbar delivered with a 2-run single. It’s the second straight game that he has hit either a tying or go-ahead single in the seventh inning or later.
Gabe Gaeckle struck out the side in the eighth, but walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth, forcing coach Dave Van Horn to go to the bullpen and bring on Ethan McElvain. McElvain stranded the tying run at first base, picking up his third save .
Arkansas goes for another series win 7 p.m. Friday. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Live Updates:
No. 24 Arkansas (27-15, 9-9 SEC) hits the road for the penultimate road trip of the season against the Missouri Tigers (20-21, 3-15 SEC). Missouri still comes into the series two games adrift of everyone else in the SEC but a much different team than the one the Razorbacks outscored 51-9, scoring at least 14 runs in each game. Missouri has already won four more games than they did all of last season and has improved their team ERA by over 4 runs under new pitching coach Drew Dickinson. Arkansas starts lefty Hunter Dietz (4-2, 3.59 ERA) while Missouri counters with righty Josh McDevitt (3-4, 4.08 ERA).
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
LF Carter Rutenbar
CF Damian Ruiz
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
2B Nolan Souza
RF Zack Stewart
DH Kuhio Aloy
1B Reese Robinett
3B TJ Pompey
LHP Hunter Dietz
Missouri:
1B Jase Woita
SS Kam Durnin
2B Blaize Ward
CF Kaden Peer
C Mateo Serna
DH Cameron Benson
RF Pierre Seals
3B Keegan Knutson
LF Isaiah Frost
RHP Josh McDevitt
Bottom 9th:
- Serna walked
- Jamal George replaced Serna at first
- Ethan McElvain replaced Gaeckle
- Benson grounded out to the pitcher, 1 out, George to second
- Seals flied out to left, 2 outs
- Donovan Jordan replaced Knutson
- Jordan singled to center, George scored, Arkansas 5, Mizzou 4
- Tyler Macon replaced Frost
- Macon strikes out swinging, 3 outs
Top 9th:
- Ian Lohse replaced Lawrence
- Robinett walked
- Robinett caught stealing second, 1 out
- Pompey struck out looking, 2 outs
- Rutenbar walked
- Christian Turner replaced Rutenbar at first
- Ruiz flied out to center, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Gabe Gaeckle replaced Dietz
- Durnin struck out swinging
- Maisonet struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Peer struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- Kozeal lined out to left, 1 out
- Helfrick grounded out to short, 2 outs
- Souza walked
- Souza stole second
- Stewart homered to right, Souza scored, Arkansas 5, Mizzou 3
- Aloy grounded out to short, 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Knutson grounded out to third, 1 out
- Frost struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Woita grounded out to short, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Stewart struck out swinging, 1 out
- Aloy walked
- Robinett doubled to left, Aloy to third
- Trey Lawrence replaced McDevitt
- Pompey struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Rutenbar singled to center, Aloy scored, Robinett scored, Arkansas 3, Mizzou 3
- Ruiz grounded into a fielder’s choice, Rutenbar out at second, short to second, 3 outs
Arkansas has the tying run at second with 1 out.
Aloy was down 0-2 and worked a walk.
Robinett was down 0-2 before slapping a double to left.
Bottom 6th:
- Ward singled to right
- Ward advanced to second on a wild pitch
- Peer reached on a fielder’s choice, Ward out at third, short to third, Peer to first, 1 out
- Serna struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Benson singled to center, Peer to third
- Seals grounded out to second, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Kozeal doubled to right
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 1 out
- Souza struck out looking, Kozeal caught stealing third, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Frost grounded out to the pitcher, bunt, 1 out
- Woita singled to center
- Durnin grounded into a double play, short to second to first, Woita out at second, 3 outs
4 pitch inning for Dietz, just 71 through 5.
Top 5th:
- Robinett struck out swinging, 1 out
- Pompey homered to right, Mizzou 3, Arkansas 1
- Rutenbar popped out to third, 2 outs
- Ruiz lined out to center, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Serna grounded out to short, 1 out
- Benson struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Seals singled to right
- Knutson flied out to right, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Helfrick singled to center
- Souza struck out swinging, 1 out
- Helfrick advanced to second on a wild pitch
- Stewart flied out to center, Helfrick to third, 2 outs
- Aloy struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Woita struck out swinging,1 out
- Durnin walked
- Durnin stole second
- Ward grounded out to short, Durnin to third, 2 outs
- Peer struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Rutenbar popped out to short, 1 out
- Ruiz grounded out to third, 2 outs
- Kozeal grounded out to first, 3 outs
7 set down in a row by McDevitt. This Mizzou team is just so much better than last year.
Bottom 2nd:
- Seals struck out looking, 1 out
- Knutson grounded out to second, 2 outs
- Frost struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- Aloy fouled out to second, 1 out
- Robinett struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Pompey struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Woita homered to left, Mizzou 1, Arkansas 0
- Durnin hit by a pitch
- Ward homered to left, Durnin scored, Mizzou 3, Arkansas 0
- Peer struck out swinging, 1 out
- Serna singled to short
- Benson grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Serna out at second, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 1 out
- Ruiz walked
- Ruiz stole second
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Helfrick walked
- Souza walked, Ruiz to third, Helfrick to second
- Stewart struck out swinging, 3 outs
