Arkansas nearly got a Hollywood ending to its trip to Los Angeles on Saturday, but USC spoiled it in walk-off fashion.
Following a game-tying two-out single by Jamal O’Guinn, CJ Stubbs launched a two-run home run over the left field wall to help the Trojans avoid the sweep with a 6-4 win in 10 innings. It was the Razorbacks’ first loss of the season, as they’ll return home with a 5-1 record.
California native Patrick Wicklander - who failed to record an out Thursday - was a strike away from capping a great bounce-back relief appearance when O’Guinn tied it up on a single up the middle. Instead, he was tagged with the loss when Marshall Denton gave up the homer to the first batter he faced.
The reason Wicklander was in position to close out the victory was because Dominic Fletcher, playing less than an hour away from his hometown, launched a one-out home run to center to give Arkansas its first lead of the game.
It was seemingly the moment of triumph for the Razorbacks, who could never quite get over the hump in the first nine innings.
Making his second career start, Connor Noland found himself in an early hole when he gave up a home run to Chase Bushor, the second batter in the home half of the first inning.
When he took the mound the next inning, though, it was tied again thanks to another two-out RBI double by Christian Franklin. Unfortunately for Arkansas, its two-sport standout was not as sharp as he usually is.
Known for his command, Noland issued back-to-back walks on nine pitches. He nearly got out of the jam, but John Thomas made him pay with an RBI single that gave USC a 2-1 lead. That was the score for a while as both starters - Noland and John Beller - settled in before turning it over to their bullpens.
The Razorbacks finally broke through in the seventh, using a leadoff single by Zack Plunkett and a pinch-run stolen base by Casey Opitz to set up another RBI for Franklin. It was a short-lived 2-2 tie, as Arkansas fans got a dose of deja vu in the eighth.
After cruising through his first two innings of relief and getting a couple of outs sandwiched around a single, Jacob Kostyshock got into a jam when O’Guinn reached on an infield single.
He appeared to get out of it by getting Stubbs to fly out to shallow right field, but miscommunication between second baseman Jack Kenley and left fielder Heston Kjerstad allowed it to drop. It was similar to the pop foul that cost Arkansas the national championship last season and gave the Trojans a 3-2 lead, prompting head coach Dave Van Horn to bring in Wicklander with runners on second and third.
Just two days after entering a game with the bases loaded and letting all three inherited runners score on two walks and a hit by pitch, Wicklander had to cover the bag on a ground out to second, but he kept it a one-run deficit.
Needing a run to extend the game, Opitz led off the ninth with a double, moved to third on a ground out by Jacob Nesbit and scored the tying run on a wild pitch by Chris Clarke.
Wicklander retired the Trojans in order to send the game to extras and Fletcher homered to momentarily give the Razorbacks redemption for the miscue on the pop up, but it wouldn’t last. A leadoff single to pinch-hitter Trevor Halsema eventually turned into the game-tying run on O’Guinn’s single.
Although it was a heartbreaking loss, Arkansas will return to Fayetteville with a series victory for the first time since taking two of three at Texas A&M to end the 2017 regular season.
The Razorbacks have a few days off before hitting the field for a midweek matchup with Memphis at Baum-Walker Stadium on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will be streamed on SEC Network-plus, meaning it can be watched on ESPN3.com or the WatchESPN app.
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