FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (9-1, 0-0 SEC) earned an 8-5 win against the Charlotte 49ers (4-5, 0-0 AAC) on Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Left-handed starter Zach Root was given a no-decision, but he was strong in 5.1 innings of work with eight strikeouts, two walks, five hits and three earned runs.
Led by Brent Iredale's and Kuhio Aloy's two-hit days, the Razorbacks finished 10-for-33 at the plate with five extra-base hits, four walks and seven strikeouts.
Three relievers combined to pitch 3.2 innings after Root and that group combined to allow two earned runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Arkansas opened the game with the well-performing Root on the mound, but Charlotte's red-hot hitting was up for the task early. The 49ers recorded three doubles off the Hog southpaw, which resulted in a quick 2-0 lead.
The Razorbacks, much like how they started in Game 1 offensively, went 1-2-3 against Charlotte right-handed starter Blake Gillespie.
Root rebounded in the top of the second with his own 1-2-3 frame. The offense picked him up in the latter-half of the inning behind three hits — including a 114 MPH double from Kuhio Aloy — to bring the deficit to 2-1.
Charlotte's offense came to a standstill in the top of the third, as Root picked up his third strikeout, a groundout and a flyout to keep things moving. Ryder Helfrick began the bottom of the third with a strikeout, but Charles Davalan broke things up with a bunt single. After a Wehiwa Aloy punchout, Logan Maxwell punched his second home run of the weekend to straightaway center. Arkansas exited the inning with a 3-2 lead.
A three-pitch swinging strikeout began Root's top of the fourth, then he surrendered a full-count single that was hit a little too well for Wehiwa Aloy to handle. That runner never advanced, as Root picked up strikeout No. 5 and drew a fielder's choice groundout to limit Charlotte's offense.
Kuhio Aloy reverted back to his human form in the bottom of the fourth after striking out on a full-count offspeed pitch out of the zone. Gillespie backed that up with another punchout on Kozeal, and Souza capped the inning with a flyout.
The fifth inning was very dangerous for Root, who actually began the inning with a strikeout. After that, he allowed a walk, a single and a hit-by-pitch sandwiches around a flyout to load the bases with two outs. After getting down 3-0 to the next batter, Root worked his way back and stranded the bases with a strikeout.
Gillespie returned for his fifth inning of work, but was quickly struck with a single by Helfrick to leadoff the frame. That forced a pitching change, and Charlotte handed the ball off to right-hander Joseph Taylor. Arkansas was stymied by the righty, who collected three grounds outs to close the door.
Despite his high pitch-count, Root took over the mound again in the sixth. It was his last, however, as a walk and strikeout brought an end to a great outing. Replacing him was righty Tate McGuire, who promptly allowed a two-run blast to his first batter to give Charlotte the lead back. A strikeout ended the frame with the 49ers up, 4-3.
They say good teams score when scored upon, and Arkansas lived up to that mantra in the bottom of the seventh. After back-to-back walks by Diggs and Kuhio Aloy, Kozeal singled to load the bases. Souza reached first base on a fielder's choice RBI, and Helfrick successfully attempted a safety squeeze to hand the Razorbacks the lead again, 5-4.
Righty reliever Aiden Jimenez entered the game in the top of the seventh following a McGuire walk. Two singles tied the game for Charlotte, but Jimenez flexed his "stuff" with three strikeouts.
Wehiwa Aloy led off the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff oppo double to right field, and he was moved to third once Maxwell grounded out in the infield. Iredale doubled down the right field line to score Aloy for Arkansas' sixth run of the game. The fun didn't end there, because after a Diggs strikeout, Kuhio Aloy sent a bomb over the center field wall for two more runs. With the dust settled, Arkansas led, 8-5.
Jimenez returned again in the top of the eighth, and Arkansas also brought in Reese Robinett at first base as a defensive replacement. Jimenez got a strikeout before issuing a walk, but that runner was erased on a lineout double play.
After a scoreless frame by the Razorbacks' offense, Charlotte had three outs in the top of the ninth to tie or take the lead, and it had to it with Arkansas freshman righty Carson Wiggins on the mound.
The flamethrower left nothing in the tank to his first batter, as Wiggins picked up a strikeout looking with a beautiful breaking ball. Wiggins collected out No. 2 via a groundout and he ended the game with his second punchout.
Up next, the Razorbacks will play Game 3 against Charlotte on Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT and it will be streamed on SEC Network+.
