Gritty bullpen performance lifts Diamond Hogs to series win over Alabama
FAYETTEVILLE — After using eight arms in two games against the visiting Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 6 Arkansas was in desperate need of a gritty pitching performance in Sunday’s rubber match.
A trio of right-handers provided exactly that, coming in the form of 8 ⅓ innings of two-run ball as the Razorbacks came from behind to win 5-4, marking their second straight win and second SEC series victory in three weeks.
"Bullpen was great," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn. "We would’ve got swept if it wasn’t for the bullpen. I love good starting pitching, but the bullpen, that’s going to determine if you have a good team or not, because the games are won seven through nine."
The first inning offered no shortage of excitement, as both clubs traded a pair of runs. Arkansas freshman Ben Bybee earned a spot start after logging two scoreless frames last weekend at LSU. He got the first two outs without issue, but that was it, as five straight batters reached via a walk or a hit, including designated hitter Dominic Tamez’s two-run single for his third and fourth RBIs of the series.
Three straight knocks for the Razorbacks cut the Alabama lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first, with left fielder Jared Wegner driving in his 41st run of the season on a 114-mph single. He was erased on a double play that allowed Peyton Stovall to advance to third, setting the second baseman up to tie the game on a wild pitch.
After recording the third out with the bases loaded in the first inning, Cody Adcock settled in for a solid duel opposite Alabama left-hander Grayson Hitt. The pair traded zeros in the second, third and fourth innings, and both offenses only managed to move one runner into scoring position during that stretch.
Alabama re-established its lead in the fifth, when shortstop Jim Jarvis cranked his second homer and fourth extra-base hit of the series to right field for a 3-2 lead. That ended Adcock’s day after 10 outs, three hits, a run, a walk and three strikeouts.
"Cody Adcock, great job," Van Horn said. "Dylan Carter was the man, though. I mean, Dylan came in and did a tremendous job going through that tough order, left, right. Super job."
Carter, who logged 30 pitches and seven outs in Saturday’s 9-6 win, was the second Razorback out of the bullpen, and he induced four ground balls in the fifth, one of which Harold Coll airmailed to first in his third start at short of the season, and the other three for outs.
The sophomore righty became the pitcher of record when the Hogs took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Center fielder Tavian Josenberger bunted for a hit to lead it off and chased Hitt from the contest in doing so.
Crimson Tide right-hander Garrett McMillan made his season debut after missing the first 28 games with a shoulder strain and retired Stovall for his first out. Wegner greeted him rudely, sending his 1-2 pitch 412 feet to left field for his 12th longball of the campaign and the lead.
The Arkansas advantage disappeared briefly in the top of the sixth, but catcher Parker Rowland lined the eventual game-winning RBI single past the diving shortstop. That was just the fourth hit in 27 at-bats for the bottom of the Razorback order in the series to that point.
"It's never too late to have a good day," Rowland said. "For me, second and third in a big spot, my job is to get the run in, not try to do too much. Got a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it."
Carter backed it up with a 10-pitch seventh inning, pumping his arms to rile up the Hog faithful heading into the stretch.
"I felt great," Carter said. "I thought that was my last inning of work, so I was trying to fire the crowd up and get them going, but I knew I had a little bit more. he asked if I wanted to go one more, and I said 'Absolutely.' Personally, I thought that was my best inning today and yesterday."
With 46 pitches to his name Sunday and 76 on the weekend, he racked up two more outs in the eighth, but his second walk of the day signaled the end of his outing after 3 ⅔ innings of two-hit ball.
Freshman Gage Wood got the call for the final four outs, the first of which he recorded on two pitches to end the scoring threat. Arkansas failed to tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, leaving him to protect the 5-4 lead against the heart of the Alabama order.
The Crimson Tide’s No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters were no match for the Batesville native, who took care of them in order to earn his first career save and clinch the series for the home team.
"Gage knew he was going to pitch today, and he’s got good stuff," Van Horn said. "He threw to one hitter the other day, I think it was, and he was upset when we took him out. We told him, 'You’re going to pitch again on Sunday. You have to,' and he came through for us and got us four really, really big outs."
Arkansas' series win moved it back into a tie with No. 1 LSU atop the SEC West, three games clear of Alabama and Auburn.
"I thought they had some serious attitude yesterday and I loved it," Van Horn said. "They were quiet and intense, and we elevated our game yesterday. Today, they came out maybe a little bit looser, but you could tell the focus was there and they were going to fight."
The Razorbacks will welcome Arkansas State to town at 6 p.m. Tuesday before hitting the road for Oxford, Mississippi, for a three-game set against 1-8 Ole Miss beginning Thursday.
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