The No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks (31-3, 11-1 SEC) won 7-3 over the Arkansas State Red Wolves (14-18, 5-7 Sun Belt) in a midweek bout Tuesday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas State right-hander Kole Turner was mostly excellent in his start, as he struck out six Razorbacks and exited in the fourth inning with two runners on base. Those two did come around to score thanks to a Charles Davalan two-run shot, which gave the Hogs a 4-2 lead at the time.
As a team, the Diamond Hogs went 11-for-33 at the plate with two long balls, 13 punchouts and five walks. Arkansas also had three stolen bases, all of which came from Nolan Souza.
Right-hander Tate McGuire made his second career start in the game, and he exited after three innings pitched with five hits allowed, two earned runs, one walk and two strikeouts.
Behind efforts from righties Ben Bybee, Dylan Carter and Carson Wiggins and left-handers Colin Fisher and Cole Gibler, the bullpen kept Arkansas State in check through 4.0 innings. That group allowed just one earned run and racked up five strikeouts to just two walks.
McGuire was pretty economical to start, as he needed just 13 pitches to get through the top of the first despite giving up a two-out double. Arkansas State righty Kole Turner made the Hogs' dangerous lineup look pedestrian with two groundouts and a strikeout against Kozeal.
Arkansas State took a 1-0 lead in the second thanks to two singles and an RBI double off McGuire. It could've been worse for the Hogs, but a baserunning mistake off one of the singles resulted in an out at third base.
That lead didn't last long, though, as Carson Boles picked up a one-out single and he eventually came around to score on a Nolan Souza two-out single.
The Red Wolves made it two innings in a row with a run, as a one-out walk, single, wild pitch and sac-fly were enough to drive a runner across home plate. Charles Davalan reached base with a one-out single in the bottom of the third, but he was thrown out on a steal attempt and the Razorbacks went down quietly.
Right-handed pitcher Ben Bybee entered the game for McGuire to start the fourth, and he carried his recent momentum by forcing two groundouts and a strikeout. LHP Colin Fisher took over on the mound after the Hogs' offense went 1-2-3 to close the fourth.
To put it in coach Dave Van Horn's terms, alls he (Fisher) did was set down the side in order. In the bottom of the fifth, Kuhio Aloy got things started with a strikeout. Souza singled for the second time of the day and Justin Thomas Jr. walked to give the Hogs two baserunners with two outs.
Arkansas State handed the ball off to lefty Carson Keithley to face Davalan, who smashed a pitch over the left-field wall to hand the Hogs a 4-2 lead.
Fisher was pulled in the top of the sixth after his leadoff walk came in to score on a single. With two outs, righty Dylan Carter got out of the jam with a groundball out.
Kozeal returned to form with a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth, which forced a pitching change to righty Cooper Garrison. The sidearmer retired the next two batters he faced before Kuhio Aloy stroked a two-run bomb over the right-field wall. Just like that, Arkansas led 6-3.
After three pitching changes and three walks (to load the bases with two outs), Davalan walked to make it 7-3, Hogs.
Carter retired the Red Wolves in order to start the seventh, and all Arkansas' offense could muster in the latter-half of the frame was a two-out double by Boles.
Freshman lefty Cole Gibler was tasked with getting three outs in the eighth, and despite allowing a walk and a single, he accomplished his task without allowing a run.
Another freshman, right-hander Carson Wiggins, entered the game in the top of the ninth to close out the game. He did just that with one strikeout, a popup and a flyout to secure the midweek victory.
Up next, No. 1 Arkansas will travel to Athens, Georgia, to face the No. 7 Bulldogs. First pitch for Friday's matchup is set for 5 p.m. CT and it will stream on SEC Network+.
