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Arkansas used a two-hour break in the middle of Friday’s doubleheader to regroup and win a rubber match that secured yet another series win over a ranked opponent on the road.
With nowhere else to go, the No. 1 Razorbacks hung out in the third base dugout after a sixth-inning meltdown led to a 6-2 loss in the first game and then bounced back to beat South Carolina 5-1 in the nightcap at Founders Park.
Splitting the doubleheader with the Gamecocks kept Arkansas perfect in weekend series this season because it also won the series opener Thursday night. It is now 32-7 overall and 13-5 in SEC play, which is good for first in the SEC West.
“(That’s) really hard to do,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “You usually stub your toe, even if you’re a really good team. … We have good pitching, we have a good bullpen, we have a pretty solid lineup that’ll fight you, but to win every series, it’s an accomplishment for sure.”
Using the latest Rivals Composite Poll rankings, the Razorbacks have now won road series over No. 17 Louisiana Tech, No. 4 Mississippi State, No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 10 South Carolina, compiling a 9-3 record in those games.
That list doesn’t include neutral-site victories over No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 3 Texas and No. 9 TCU in Arlington, Texas, to open the season.
“Most of the time, teams are a lot better at home,” Van Horn said. “Very seldom will a team play better on the road than at home. … Again, I don’t think our guys get too wound up about everything and where we’re at. They just play.”
Here is a recap of both games in Friday’s doubleheader, as well as a few other notes and tidbits…
Game 1: South Carolina 6, Arkansas 2
Despite jumping out to a 2-0 lead through five innings of the first game, Arkansas was never fully in control because it also stranded seven runners over that span.
The Razorbacks squandered a pair of free passes to start the game and then, after a one-out solo home run by Cullen Smith, left a couple more on base in the second inning when Matt Goodheart’s line drive went straight to the second baseman.
A leadoff single by Jalen Battles in the fifth was eventually turned into a run on Brady Slavens’ sacrifice fly, but South Carolina reliever Andrew Peters struck out Robert Moore with the bases loaded to limit the damage.
None of the Razorbacks’ four hits came with runners on base, as they finished 0 for 12 with runners on and 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. That left the door open for the Gamecocks, who finally broke through in the sixth inning with the help of a mini-meltdown by Arkansas.
After a walk and single chased starter Peyton Pallette with one out, the Razorbacks turned to Caden Monke out of the bullpen. However, the left-hander struggled with command and walked David Mendham on four pitches that were nowhere close to the strike zone.
With the bases loaded, Van Horn brought in Zebulon Vermillion, who proceeded to allow each of the inherited runners to score and one more that was charged to himself.
Andrew Eyster hit an RBI single to break up the shutout, Josiah Sightler drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game, Colin Burgess hit a sacrifice fly to give South Carolina its first lead of the series and finally George Callil tacked on an RBI single.
