Arkansas earns run rule shutout win over in-state foe Little Rock
FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks (20-3, 5-1 SEC) got back in the win column with an 11-0 run rule win over the Little Rock Trojans (13-12, 2-1 OVC) in seven innings on a very chilly late March afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas plated two runs each in the first and second innings, and then shortstop Wehiwa Aloy scored four runs with one swing when he hit his second grand slam of the season in the bottom of the sixth. Two more big swings from Jack Wagner and Will Edmunson capped off a big seven-run half inning that resulted in the Hogs needing three more outs to put the run rule in effect.
"We talked about how it was going to be really cold, talked about how it was going to be the game before we play another SEC series, a big series," head coach Dave Van Horn said postgame. "And I thought they came out and did a really nice job for us."
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ben Bybee made his season debut after dealing with a hamstring injury and then mononucleosis for the first six weekends of the year. The 6-foot-6 hurler out of Overland Park, Kansas, gave up one hit in three scoreless innings while recording no walks and striking out five.
"I thought Bybee was really good," Van Horn said. "Velocity was good, location for the most part was pretty good. I felt like the ball was coming out of his hand good. He threw some good changeups to a couple of their left-handers. You know, he’s got the breaking ball and when it’s on it’s good."
The trio of Dylan Carter, Christian Foutch and Stone Hewlett combined for four innings of one-hit ball in relief to keep the Trojans' lineup quiet.
Little Rock pitchers issued 12 free passes — eight walks and four hit by pitches — in the contest, and the Razorbacks were 5-10 at the plate with runners on base. The Trojans had just two hits on the day, and those were the only two base runners they had all day.
"The difference in the game is basically on the mound we didn’t give them any free passes," Van Horn said. "We didn’t walk anyone. They walked, it looks like they walked eight and hit us four times. That’s 12 free passes. You mix in four home runs and that’s how you score 11 runs."
Bybee's first inning of the season went about as good as he could draw it up, as the right-hander went three up, three down and closed it out with a strikeout on an 82 mile per hour off-speed pitch.
Little Rock starter Austin Stubber's first inning went much different, as he allowed five batters to reach — four on free passes — while recording just two outs on 41 pitches. Right-hander Josh Beezley recorded an out in relief right away to leave the bases loaded and limit Arkansas' damage to just two runs.
Although he allowed a two-out single, Bybee retired the other three batters he faced in the top of the second and picked up two more strikeouts to his name in the frame.
Arkansas added to its lead shortly after in the form of a two-run opposite field home run from second baseman Peyton Stovall that went 382-feet to left. The theme of two-run innings continued, as that swing was all the Hogs really had going in the second inning.
The Razorback bats went down in order for the first time in the bottom of the third inning to keep the lead at 4-0 entering the fourth inning. Right-hander Dylan Carter took the mound in the top half of the fourth in relief of Bybee for the Hogs, and he kept the trend of 1-2-3 going.
After Aloy hit a one-out 107 mile per hour single to left field in the bottom of the fourth, the Trojans turned to left-hander Hunter Royal with two runners on base. Royal retired the first two batters he faced to strand the runners.
After Carter sat down three more in a row, Royal faced the minimum in the bottom half of the fifth to keep the Trojans' deficit at 4-0.
Arkansas brought sophomore right-hander Christian Foutch on in relief in the top of the sixth, and he faced one more than the minimum in a scoreless half inning.
"He’s still throwing the ball hard," Van Horn said of Foutch. "He can throw 100 miles an hour if he wants to. He’s got a little different pitch going and it’s got a little sink on it. You’ll probably see him more. He’s just been working on it. Threw it last week to some live hitters. Didn’t pitch this weekend. Threw it tonight. Still touched 98-99 tonight.
"Then he threw one about 96 and it had some sink on it. That’s the one I like, because that one is hard to square up. And then he’s got another one or two, but I think that could be the difference maker for him, and it might even be a career-maker for him if he can get that sinker going up with that velocity."
Royal issues three straight free passes to Arkansas batters to lead off the bottom of the sixth, and Little Rock brought Jacob Weatherley on in relief just so Aloy could hit a 413-foot grand slam to center to give the Hogs an 8-0 lead.
"He had a great day," Van Horn said of Aloy. "I think he had three hits. Drove in four or five runs. Yeah, it was really good to see him feeling it a little bit at the plate laying off some borderline pitches early in the count. You can see him slowly getting there where he’s not chasing hits any more.
"He’s not pressing now. He’s like hey, I’ll take what they give me. Just like the ball he hit out of the park. He took a pitch before that, and then he got another one that wasn’t quite as good. Hung it just a little bit, and he hammered it. Good for him."
Two more homers off the bats of Jack Wagner — who was playing for the first time since March 3 — and Will Edmunson gave the Hogs three more runs to make the lead 11-0 after six innings.
Left-handed specialists Stone Hewlett to the mound in the top of the seventh for the Razorbacks and he went 1-2-3 on eight pitches.
Up next, the Razorbacks will face the No. 8 LSU Tigers for the series-opener Thursday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
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