Arkansas drops series with 7-4 loss to Kentucky
The No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks (40-9, 17-7 SEC) have fallen out of their first place tie with the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (35-10, 18-6 SEC) after losing 7-4 on Sunday afternoon at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, Kentucky.
Arkansas starter Mason Molina was roughed up through only three innings of work, as he struck out three, walked three and allowed three earned runs on three hits. Right-hander Will McEntire wasn't any better out of the bullpen, as he gave up another three earned runs in just 0.2 IP.
Relievers Christian Foutch and Gabe Gaeckle impressed to close the game with one strikeout, zero earned runs and only three hits thorugh 4.1 IP.
Kentucky managed to take the series by out-hitting the Hogs, 9-7, and four of the Wildcats' hits came with runners on base. Arkansas stranded 11 runners and it was just 3-for-14 at the plate with runners on (.214).
Kentucky RHP Mason Moore came out firing to start the game with back-to-back punchouts on Peyton Stovall and Wehiwa Aloy, but ran into trouble after walking Ben McLaughlin and Jared Sprague-Lott in consecutive at-bats. Kendall Diggs came to the plate with an early chance at RBIs, but struck out swinging to end the threat.
Arkansas LHP Mason Molina started his first frame similarly to Moore with a strikeout, but the very next Wildcats batter took an 0-2 pitch yard for a 1-0 lead. Kentucky's Devin Burkes battled for an eight-pitch walk, Molina drew a swing and a miss for a four-pitch strikeout and then put another batter on via walk. After a quick mound meeting with pitching coach Matt Hobbs, Molina ended the frame with a groundout.
The ground was beaten to death with two groundouts by Peyton Holt and Parker Rowland to start the second, but Hudson White drew a five-pitch walk to keep the inning alive. Will Edmunson attempted a base-hit bunt, but was thrown out at first for the final out.
It appeared that the home plate umpire squeezed Molina a bit to start the bottom of the second, but he drew a flyout from the first batter regardless. Kentucky picked up a one-out baserunner thanks to an oppo-single, but Molina retired the next two batters to end the inning.
The top of Arkansas' lineup came around in the third, but the trio of Stovall, Aloy and McLaughlin were all set down on just seven pitches to continue the Hogs' lack of offense. The opposite was true for Kentucky in the latter half of the frame, as a one-out walk and subsequent two-run homer gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Molina finished things off with a strikeout and groundout.
Arkansas put two baserunners on in the fourth after Diggs got hit by a pitch and Holt drew a four-pitch walk, but Rowland ended the inning with a double-play.
RHP Will McEntire came on in relief for Molina in the bottom of the fourth, and he promptly allowed a leadoff double and drew a groundout before giving up a run on a fielder's choice bunt. Two more doubles drove home two more runs, and a sac-fly capped things off for a 6-0 lead over the Hogs. RHP Christian Foutch relieved McEntire and got the final out of the frame.
White led off the top of the fifth with a single to break up the no-hitter, but Moore bounced back on the mound with a strikeout on Edmunson. Stovall then picked up a bunt single and Aloy drove in the Hogs' first run of the game on an oppo-single. McLaughlin worked a long at-bat that ended in a HBP to load the bases, and Sprague-Lott took advantage with a sac-fly. Diggs struck out to end the inning with the Razorbacks trailing 6-2.
Foutch continued his bullpen appearance and looked good, as he gathered two quick outs and a strikeout sandwiched around a single to escape the fifth unscathed.
Kentucky turned to RHP Robert Hogan out of the bullpen in the top of the sixth and he proceeded to strikeout two Arkansas batters and allow a single for a quiet frame. RHP Gabe Gaeckle took the mound for the Hogs and went 1-2-3 on two fly outs and a groundout to end the sixth.
Arkansas started the seventh with a leadoff double by Stovall, but back-to-back outs by Aloy and McLaughlin stopped any momentum. Sprague-Lott walked to give the Hogs runners on first and third and Diggs singled up the middle for a clutch RBI to make it 6-3 Kentucky.
The Wildcats responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh after a single and an error by Holt in centerfield drove in a runner from first base.
Razorback bats went quietly and quickly to start the eighth with two fly outs and a strikeout. Gaeckle continued to impress in the latter half of the inning with another 1-2-3 frame.
Stovall led the top of the ninth off with a solo homer to right field and the Hogs made things interesting after drawing a HBP and a walk, but a strikeout and two fly outs ended the game.
Up next, the Razorbacks and come back home to Baum-Walker Stadium for a three-game series against Mississippi State that starts on Friday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and it will stream on SEC Network+.
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