Arkansas exits SEC Tournament after 9-6 loss to Kentucky
The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks' (43-14) SEC Tournament run came to an end following a 9-6 loss to the 3-seed Kentucky Wildcats (40-13) on Thursday in Hoover, Alabama.
Arkansas' offense took some steps in the right direction, but the Razorbacks still finished 9-for-36 at the plate (.250), 3-for-11 with two outs (.273) and 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position (.167).
"We've got to get better," head coach Dave Van Horn said after the game. "We got to get better. That's what I just told 'em, we got to get more production up and down the lineup. It's spotty right now.
"I think guys are trying too hard, trying to do too much instead of just take what they give you sometimes. What I'm talking about is maybe a couple guys going out of the zone, put themselves in a bad count. We got to flip that, take the pitch, work for the next one."
Second baseman Peyton Stovall, third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott and center fielder Peyton Holt each collected two hits, and Holt added 4 RBIs thanks to two home runs against the Wildcats.
Ace left-hander Hagen Smith started the game for the Hogs but only made it through innings after striking out four and walking one. Two errors led to two runs being scored while he was on the mound, and Smith took his first loss of the season as a result.
"Yeah, I think probably a little amped up, leaving some things up, fastball up," Van Horn said. "Just not real sharp. I think he got a little frustrated. But that's about what we wanted him to throw right there, 35, 40 pitches, two to three innings, max.
"And we thought, hey, that's enough. So give him a little opportunity to have a couple days' rest more than normal leading into next weekend. But, yeah, Hagen is Hagen. He's good. He'll be ready to go."
Right-handed reliever Gage Wood took a step back after seeing some recent success, as Kentucky struck him for four earned runs in 2.2 innings of work. After a one-out stint from Will McEntire, Brady Tygart and Mason Molina each made appearances to combine for the final three frames.
Molina was especially excellent in his second straight bullpen opportunity, as the former Texas Tech transfer struck out three with only one hit allowed.
"It was really good to see Mason pitch well again," Van Horn said. "He threw well in relief, Game 2 against A&M, the game we needed to win to wrap up the West. And this is his first outing since, and he matched it again, threw really well."
Top First - Arkansas 0, Kentucky 0
On a quiet morning in Hoover, Alabama, Arkansas leadoff man Kendall Diggs took some pitches and popped up to third base to begin the elimination game against Kentucky. Hudson White made good contact but lined out to right, and Peyton Stovall broke up the 1-2-3 frame with a hard single to right. He was eventually stranded after Jared Sprague-Lott struck out in a full-count.
Bottom First - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0
Lefty ace Hagen Smith took the mound for the Hogs, but his day got off to an uncharacteristic start thanks to a walk. The runner advanced to second after a failed pickoff attempt by Smith, and then he moved to third after a sinking liner got past the glove of Stovall for a single. With runners on first and third, a run would come in to score after a sac-bunt. The runner on second attempted to steal third and an errant throw by Hudson White resulted in another run for the Wildcats. Smith collected the final two outs via swing and miss in a 20-pitch frame.
Top Second - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0
You don't see legitimate stolen homeruns everyday, but Kentucky center fielder Nolan McCarthy robbed Ben McLaughlin to start the second. Wehiwa Aloy got down 0-2 in a hurry before grounding out and Peyton Holt swung at the first pitch of his at-bat for another groundball out.
Bottom Second - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0
Smith started his second more effectively with a strike out looking. A single by McCarthy past the glove of Aloy gave the Wildcats some life, but Smith picked up another swing and a miss before retiring the final batter via fly out.
Top Third - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0
In Ryder Helfrick's first at-bat of the game, he smacked a hard liner to shorstop for the out. Will Edmunson followed up with a grounder to first, and Diggs flipped the lineup over with a walk. White kept the lineup moving with a single to center that moved Diggs to third, but Stovall struck out on three pitches to end the threat.
Bottom Third - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0
Right-handed reliever Gage Wood took the mound in the third for the Hogs, and he started his day with a full-count strikeout. Wood collected a swing and a miss in a nine-pitch at-bat for the second of the inning. Diggs and Stovall collided in right field on a popup that resulted in a triple, but Wood escaped unscathed following a fly out.
Top Fourth - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0
Sprague-Lott got things started with a grounder up the middle, but Kentucky second baseman Emilien Pitre made a nice play for the out. McLaughlin hit a grounder on the first pitch he saw and Aloy halted the 1-2-3 frame with a left-field single. The inning ended after Holt grounded out to shortstop.
Bottom Fourth - Kentucky 3, Arkansas 0
The first pitch of Wood's fourth inning was hit to deep left but held in the ballpark, but his fourth pitch was torched to right center over both fences for a solo homerun. Wood bounced back with a strikeout and groundout to get out of the frame.
Top Fifth - Kentucky 3, Arkansas 0
Ryder Helfrick sent a ball 430 feet to left field...foul, and then grounded out to end his at-bat. Edmunson did the same but to third base and Diggs capped things off with a high-swinging strikeout.
Bottom Fifth - Kentucky 6, Arkansas 0
Needing a quick inning to keep the game on track, Wood collected a grounder to start the fifth. The peace didn't last long, though, as Ryan Waldschmidt took Wood yard to left center for a solo bomb. A shallow popup to left center dropped out of a diving Edmunson's glove for a single, and that runner eventually moved to third after another Kentucky single to left center. Devin Burkes stole second to give the Wildcats two runners in scoring position, and Nick Lopez took advantage with an RBI-single to right. Lopez was thrown out at second and Arkansas made a pitching change to Will McEntire, who forced a fly out to end the inning.
Top Sixth - Kentucky 6, Arkansas 4
Kentucky turned to Jackson Nove out of the bullpen to start the sixth, and he began his outing with a grounder from White. Stovall and Sprague-Lott earned back-to-back singles and McLaughlin loaded the bases with a walk. An Aloy groundout scored a run, but Holt's three-run blast ignited the Hog dugout and brought the score within two runs. Helfrick walked on four pitches to bring the tying run to the plate, and Kentucky brought in Ryan Hagenow from the bullpen. Edmunson ended the big inning with a fly out.
Bottom Sixth - Kentucky 6, Arkansas 4
Brady Tygart took the mound for the Hogs after a time away from the diamond, and he shined in relief. The right-hander only threw 10 pitches in a 1-2-3 frame that included a strikeout.
Top Seventh - Kentucky 6, Arkansas 4
Momentum was turning the Razorbacks' way in the seventh. A Diggs groundout started things off slow, but White walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch to give Arkansas some life. A Stovall walk put the leading run at the plate, but a popup by Sprague-Lott and a grounder by McLaughlin ended the inning.
Bottom Seventh - Kentucky 9, Arkansas 4
A fielding error by Tygart on a routine infield play gave the Wildcats a leadoff baserunner, and he came around to score following a two-run shot by Waldschmidt. Tygart followed that with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, and Van Horn handed the ball off to Mason Molina out of the pen. Molina started his outing with a strikeout before the runners on first and second performed a double steal. A sac-fly scored a run before Molina got out of the frame with another strikeout.
Top Eighth - Kentucky 9, Arkansas 5
Following an Aloy groundout to start the eighth, Holt homered for the second time of the day on a solo shot to left. Helfrick grounded out before Edmunson doubled to right center to give the Hogs a runner in scoring position. Kentucky turned to bullpen arm Evan Byers, who retired Diggs via pop up to end the inning.
Bottom Eighth - Kentucky 9, Arkansas 5
Molina continued his strong bullpen appearance in the eighth, as he struck out one and forced two fly outs around a single to give the Hogs a fighting chance in the ninth.
Top Ninth - Kentucky 9, Arkansas 6
In need of a rally, White began the ninth with a groundout. Stovall struck out in a full-count and Sprague-Lott homered, but it was too little, too late for the Razorbacks as pinch-hitter Hudson Polk struck out to end the ballgame.
Up next, the Razorbacks will head back to Baum-Walker Stadium to rest as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
Box Score
