FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 3 Arkansas Razorbacks secured their third straight SEC series win with a 5-1 rubber match victory over No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Left-hander Hunter Hollan went the distance and pitched a complete game for the Diamond Hogs. He allowed one earned run on five hits, walked one and struck out a season-best 10 batters.
Three of Arkansas' five runs were driven in by the bottom of the order and the Razorbacks were 5-for-14 at the plate with runners on base.
South Carolina was 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and its only run came via a solo shot from Will Tippett in the top of the third inning.
HawgBeat provided live inning-by-inning updates below, as well as in-depth commentary and stats on The Trough premium message board.
Starting Lineups
South Carolina
1. SS Michael Braswell (R)
2. LF Dylan Brewer (L)
3. RF Ethan Petry (R)
4. C Cole Messina (R)
5. 1B Gavin Casas (L)
6. DH Braylen Wimmer (R)
7. 3B Talmadge LeCroy (R)
8. 2B Will Tippett (S)
9. CF Ethan Stone (R)
Arkansas
1. CF Tavian Josenberger (S)
2. LF Jace Bohrofen (L)
3. RF Kendall Diggs (L)
4. 1B Brady Slavens (L)
5. DH Ben McLaughlin (L)
6. 3B Caleb Cali (R)
7. 2B Peyton Holt (R)
8. C Parker Rowland (S)
9. SS John Bolton (R)
Top 1
Hunter Hollan had no trouble in the first inning, as he started with a pair of strikeouts and then forced freshman phenom Ethan Petry to groundout to third to close the 1-2-3 frame.
Bottom 1
Matthew Becker retired the Razorbacks in order on just 13 pitches and earned his first strikeout in the inning.
Top 2
Cole Messina led things off with a double to the wall in right-center. Gavin Casas moved Messina to third with a single to left on an 0-2 pitch.
Hollan bounced back by earning an easy pop out to first and an inning-ending double play after a ball was lined back to him and he tossed it to third to get the leaning Messina out.
Bottom 2
Becker racked up two more strikeouts against Caleb Cali and Brady Slavens as he retired the Razorbacks in order for the second straight frame.
Top 3
Will Tippett drove Hollan's third pitch of the inning 386 feet to left field for the first home run of the series. A five-pitch walk by Hollan and a one-out bunt single from Dylan Brewer put runners on first and second for the Gamecocks.
Hollan stranded the runners by earning back-to-back strikeouts against Petry and Messina.
Bottom 3
Peyton Holt led the frame off with a single to right field. After a Parker Rowland strikeout, Holt stole second and he was driven home courtesy of a one-out RBI double to the wall in right-center from John Bolton.
A Tavian Josenberger groundout and a Jace Bohrofen strikeout stranded Bolton.
Top 4
Hollan made quick work of South Carolina in the fourth as he worked a 1-2-3 frame and earned a pair of strikeouts to put his game total to six.
Bottom 4
The Razorbacks went down in order for the third time on the afternoon and Becker was at just 60 pitches after the frame.
Top 5
A pair of groundouts to short and Hollan's seventh strikeout was enough to retire the Gamecocks on just seven pitches.
Bottom 5
Caleb Cali hit a leadoff single to left 102 miles an hour off the bat. A double from Holt put runners on second and third for the Razorbacks. A single up the middle from Parker Rowland scored both runners and gave the Hogs a two-run lead.
John Bolton reached on a fielder's choice that resulted in Rowland being out at second. Bolton stole second, but was stranded following a Tavian Josenberger strikeout and Jace Bohrofen fly out.
Top 6
Hollan improved on his fifth inning performance by earning three outs on just six pitches and his eighth strikeout in the sixth.
Bottom 6
Brady Slavens lined a one-out double down the line in right field. After Becker earned his seventh strikeout of the day, South Carolina turned to RHP James Hicks with two outs and Slavens at second.
Cali drove Slavens home with an RBI single to right on Hicks' first pitch of the game. Peyton Holt moved Cali to second with a single through the left side. Hicks struck out Parker Rowland to strand the runners.
Top 7
Hollan put together his fourth straight 1-2-3 frame and picked up his ninth strikeout in the process.
Bottom 7
Hicks used just eight pitches to sit the Razorback lineup down in order.
Top 8
Make that five straight 1-2-3 frames for Hollan. He sat the Gamecocks down in order again and he was at 94 pitches after the frame.
Bottom 8
Ben McLaughlin fouled off six straight pitches before blasting a two-out solo shot 378 feet over the wall in right-center to put Arkansas up 5-1.
After Caleb Cali lined a double down the left field line, Hicks forced a groundout to short to get out of more potential trouble.
Top 9
A two-out single from Cole Messina ended a streak of 19 straight batters retired for Hollan. A pop out to John Bolton ended the complete game performance for Hollan.
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