The No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (41-16) were eliminated from the SEC Tournament in a 5-4 loss to Texas A&M (36-24) in the tournament semifinals on Saturday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
Arkansas made a late push by plating three runs in the top of the ninth inning, but the Aggies brought on lefty Troy Wansing to shut things down with back-to-back strikeouts issued to Jace Bohrofen and Jared Wegner.
The Razorbacks tossed six total pitchers in the game and they combined to walk seven and strikeout six. Texas A&M's four pitchers combined to strikeout Arkansas batters 14 times on the day.
HawgBeat provided inning-by-inning updates for Saturday's contest, which was broadcast on the SEC Network...
Starting Lineups
Arkansas
1. CF Tavian Josenberger (S)
2. DH Kendall Diggs (L)
3. RF Jace Bohrofen (L)
4. LF Jared Wegner (R)
5. 1B Brady Slavens (L)
6. 3B Caleb Cali (R)
7. 2B Peyton Holt (R)
8. C Parker Rowland (S)
9. SS John Bolton (R)
SP: Brady Tygart (R)
Texas A&M
1. SS Hunter Haas (R)
2. 1B Jack Moss (L)
3. 3B Trevor Werner (R)
4. RF Jace LaViolette (L)
5. CF Jordan Thompson (R)
6. LF Ryan Targac (S)
7. 2B Austin Bost (R)
8. DH Brett Minnich (L)
9. C Max Kaufer (R)
SP: Matt Dillard (L)
Top 1
After Tavian Josenberger struck out swinging to start things, Kendall Diggs hit a one-out single through the left side. Jace Bohrofen grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame.
Bottom 1
Caleb Cali made a tough catch on a liner smoked by Hunter Haas to third to save an extra-base hit and record the first out. Tygart earned back-to-back strikeouts to bring a close to the first inning.
Top 2
Jared Wegner led things off with a six-pitch walk, but the next three batters — Brady Slavens, Caleb Cali and Peyton Holt — went down in order.
Bottom 2
Tygart issued a four-pitch walk to LaViolette and he then hit Jordan Thompson with a pitch to put a pair of runners on with no outs.
After striking out Ryan Targac, Tygart got Austin Bost to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Top 3
Parker Rowland struck out on three pitches to start the inning and John Bolton singled to the pitcher in his first SEC Tournament at bat. Josenberger went down swinging at a high fastball and Diggs following that by swinging at a ball low and outside for the third out.
Bottom 3
Hunter Haas managed to hit a one-out single to left field to give the Aggies their first hit of the game. Tygart walked Jack Moss to put two on with two outs and Trevor Werner doubled to the wall in right-center to score Haas.
A groundout from LaViolette ended the frame after just one run scored.
Top 4
Arkansas went down in order as Bohrofen and Wegner grounded out to third and Slavens struck out swinging to end the frame.
Bottom 4
Thompson led things off with a double down the left field line. Targac groundout out to second and allowed Thompson to move up to third with just one out. Van Horn then elected to pull Tygart and bring on RHP Will McEntire.
McEntire retired the two batters he faced to strand Thompson at third.
Top 5
The Aggies turned to LHP Shane Sdao to start the fifth inning.
Back-to-back singles from Caleb Cali and Peyton Holt gave Arkansas a pair of runners with no outs. John Bolton drew a one-out hit by pitch to load the bases for Tavian Josenberger, who fouled out to the first baseman.
Diggs struck out swinging to leave the bases loaded.
Bottom 5
McEntire struck out Kaufer to start the frame. Two pitches later, Haas grounded out to third for the second out. Moss singled to center with two outs, but McEntire struck out Werner to end the fifth.
Top 6
Bohrofen grounded out to first to lead the inning off and Wegner and Slavens both went down on strikes to complete the 1-2-3 frame.
Bottom 6
Thompson was given a one-out single on a ball that Caleb Cali couldn't corral at third base. Austin Bost hit a two-out double down the left field line to bring Thompson around and put the Aggies ahead by two.
After starting Minnich with two balls, McEntire was pulled for freshman RHP Gage Wood, who walked Minnich. Wood then walked Kaufer to load the bases and allowed Haas a free pass to make it a 3-0 A&M lead.
Van Horn pulled Wood after just 12 pitches and he then brought in LHP Parker Coil, who walked Jack Moss to bring the Aggies' fourth run across. Werner chopped a ball to Cali, who stepped on third to get the Hogs out of the sixth.
Top 7
Cali led the frame off with a double down the left field line. After Holt flied out to center, Ben McLaughlin pinch hit for Parker Rowland and he took the first pitch he saw for an RBI single to center.
Josenberger followed up a Bolton line out with a single to left field and that ended Sdao's day on the mound. The Aggies turned to LHP Brandyn Garcia, who forced Kendall Diggs to groundout to second and strand the runners.
Bottom 7
Thompson's third hit of the day was a one-out single to right field off of Coil. Stanley Tucker followed that with a double down the left field line to put two in scoring position and end Coils' day. Van Horn turned to freshman righty Christian Foutch in relief of Coil.
The second out came via a fielder's choice on a ball hit to John Bolton, who threw home to get Thompson out. Foutch walked Minnich on four pitches, but struck out Kaufer on four pitches to end the inning.
Top 8
Jace Bohrofen struck out looking to start things and then Wegner and Slavens grounded out to complete the three up, three down frame for Garcia.
Bottom 8
RHP Austin Ledbetter took over on the mound for the Razorbacks in the eighth.
Moss hit a one-out double to the wall in right-center and he advanced to third after Werner flied out to center. Moss scored via an RBI single from LaViolette that made it a 5-1 lead for Texas A&M. A fly out from Thompson closed the frame.
Top 9
Cali led things off with a single through the left side — his third hit of the day. Peyton Holt was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs for the Diamond Hogs.
After Hudson Polk struck out, John Bolton hit a two-run double down the right field line to cut the A&M lead to 5-3 and prompt a pitching change to lefty Troy Wansing.
Josenberger singled through the left side to put two on. Diggs reached via a fielding error on Moss at first and Bolton scored on the exchange to make it a one-run game.
Bohrofen and Wegner both struck out to end the game.