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The pressure was nearly non-existent for Arkansas outfielder Chris Lanzilli when he crushed a two-run homer to left-center field to walk it off for a 10-8 series-sweeping victory Sunday over Illinois-Chicago.
For the second time in as many days, Razorback third baseman Cayden Wallace smashed a grand slam to left-center, this time to put Arkansas ahead 8-6 in the bottom of the eighth. UIC proceeded to score two runs in the top of the ninth to force the Hogs into a walk-off situation.
“Cayden hit that one to give us the energy and the lead, and then they come back,” Lanzilli said. “To seal that win was just huge for us. Big energy moment.”
Arkansas starting pitcher Jaxon Wiggins led off the first inning by allowing a four-pitch walk and a single to left-center to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, but Wiggins responded with a strikeout and a fly out to shut the door.
After the troubled first inning, Wiggins responded with four strikeouts across the second and third innings to keep the UIC lineup at bay. Control was a bit of an issue, but the velocity roamed around 95-96 miles per hour.
In the bottom of the third, center fielder Braydon Webb reached base on a throwing error by the shortstop and left fielder Zack Gregory put two runners on with a bunt single. A balk by RHP Chris Torres pushed the runners to second and third and Wallace recorded an RBI groundout to score Webb and advance Gregory to third. Second baseman Robert Moore laid down a bunt single that dribbled towards first base to score Gregory and put the Hogs up 2-0.
The control issues caught up with Wiggins in the top of the fourth when he walked three batters and hit another. A pair of sacrifice bunts scored two runs for the Flames and brought a close to Wiggins’ day.
Reliever Kole Ramage entered the game, but could not stop the bleeding. An RBI walk and a bases-clearing double gave UIC a 6-2 lead. Another walk and a fielding error on first baseman Peyton Stovall loaded the bases, but a line out to center put an end to the inning.
Ramage faced the minimum in the top of the fifth, but a one-out double in the sixth put an end to his outing. Lefty Evan Taylor entered the game and stranded the runner to let Ramage off the hook. Taylor faced just two batters before righty Brady Tygart entered the game in the seventh.
Arkansas put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh beginning with a single from Gregory that put him and Webb at the corners. A sac-fly from Wallace scored Webb and a double from Moore put him and Gregory on second and third, respectively. Gregory advanced home after a flyout by catcher Michael Turner to cut the UIC lead to 6-4.
