Arkansas earns 5-4 win over Texas Tech to sweep midweek series
FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks (32-5, 12-3 SEC) needed just four hits Wednesday to earn a 5-4 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders (26-12, 9-9 Big 12) to sweep the two-game midweek series at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Both teams combined for five runs in the first three innings, but it was a two-run bottom of the sixth inning and an insurance run added in the eighth by Arkansas that put the Razorbacks over the top for their 25th straight home win.
Similar to Tuesday night's walk-off drama, Wednesday's game was interesting late with a solo homer from Texas Tech in the top of the ninth that made it a one-run game. Razorbacks' left-hander Stone Hewlett responded with a strikeout to close the game and earn his third save of the season.
Arkansas freshman left-hander Colin Fisher went four innings in the start and he gave up three runs — two earned — on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts. The Razorbacks had just two hits with runners on and one with runners and scoring position Wednesday. Peyton Stovall and Nolan Souza both hit home runs.
After a quick seven-pitch top of the first from Fisher, the Hogs didn't take long to strike first with a 406-foot leadoff homer from second baseman Peyton Stovall in the bottom half that gave Arkansas a 1-0 lead after one inning.
Texas Tech tied it up by plating a run courtesy of an error by Stovall on a pop fly that was pushed around by the wind. An inning-ending double play got Fisher out of the top of the second with the game tied 1-1.
Again in the bottom of the second, an Arkansas infielder hit a leadoff home run. This time, it was freshman third baseman Nolan Souza's 376-foot opposite field homer to left that gave the Hogs a 2-1 lead after two innings.
The Red Raiders took the lead in the top of the third via a one-out, two-RBI double that bounced into the Arkansas bullpen in right field. Fisher limited the damage to the two runs to make it a 3-2 deficit for the Hogs.
Arkansas went down in order in the bottom half of the third, and Fisher managed to close his outing by facing one more than the minimum and picking up two strikeouts in a scoreless top of the fourth inning.
The Razorbacks threatened with a pair of baserunners and no outs in the bottom of the fourth, but the runners were stranded after Red Raiders' lefty reliever Brendan Lysik retired three in a row.
With right-handed reliever Koty Frank on the bump in the top of the fifth, the Hogs faced the minimum thanks to an inning-ending 7-3 double play from Jayson Jones in left field.
Arkansas went down in order in the bottom of the fifth, and the Red Raiders did the same in the top of the sixth against Razorbacks' sophomore right-handed reliever Cooper Dossett.
Texas Tech brought in relief pitchers Isaiah Rhodes and Derek Bridges in the bottom of the sixth, and both were making their second appearance in as many days. Those moves didn't work, as neither made it through the frame and the Hogs took a 4-3 lead courtesy of two RBI knocks from Wehiwa Aloy and Jack Wagner.
Another Dossett 1-2-3 frame in the top of the seventh was followed by the Razorbacks stranding a potential insurance run at third in the bottom half.
A native of Springdale, Dossett came back out in the top of the eighth for the Hogs and picked up two outs before being relieved by junior right-hander Jake Faherty, who induced a 105 mile per hour lineout to end the frame.
Arkansas loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and Jones drew an RBI hit by pitch for an insurance run that made it 5-3 entering the top of the ninth with Faherty back on the bump.
Texas Tech drew a leadoff walk to chase Faherty and bring left-hander Stone Hewlett in. After picking up a 4-3 double play to erase the walk, Hewlett gave up a 402-foot solo bomb to Cade McGee before earning a strikeout to shut things down.
Up next, the Razorbacks will hit the road for a weekend series against the No. 20 South Carolina Gamecocks at Founders Park in Columbia, South Carolina. Game 1 is set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch Friday and it will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
Box Score
