Scoring Recap: Georgia 9, Arkansas 8

NOT A SUBSCRIBER? SIGN UP TODAY FOR ACCESS TO ALL OF HAWGBEAT'S PREMIUM CONTENT AND FEATURES

The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks suffered their first weekend sweep since 2018 after being walked off in the bottom of the ninth by Georgia in Game 3 on Saturday afternoon in Athens, Georgia.

After taking an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth, the Razorbacks got in trouble when freshman RHP Christian Foutch loaded the bases with no outs. Pitching coach Matt Hobbs — who was making the calls because head coach Dave Van Horn was ejected in the seventh inning — turned to fellow freshman Ben Bybee, who threw just five pitches and gave up a grand slam and a solo shot that gave Georgia a 9-8 walk-off win.

A pair of home runs and five RBIs from Caleb Cali proved to not be enough to overcome head-scratching pitching decisions late in the game by the Razorbacks, who are now 30-10 overall and 11-7 in SEC play.

Here is an inning-by-inning recap of the contest:

Arkansas

1. Tavian Josenberger, CF

2. Peyton Stovall, 2B

3. Jace Bohrofen, LF

4. Ben McLaughlin, DH

5. Kendall Diggs, RF

6. Caleb Cali, 3B

7. Brady Slavens, 1B

8. Hudson Polk, C

9. John Bolton, SS

SP: Hagen Smith

Georgia

1. Ben Anderson, CF

2. Charlie Condon, RF

3. Connor Tate, LF

4. Parks Harber, 1B

5. Will David, 3B

6. Cole Wagner, DH

7. Sebastian Murillo, SS

8. Fernando Gonzalez, C

9. Mason LaPlante, 2B

SP: Liam Sullivan

Sullivan retired the Razorbacks in order and gained a strikeout to start his outing.

Smith worked a 1-2-3 frame with a pair of strikeouts to begin his day on the mound.

Kendall Diggs drew a one-out walk, but a Caleb Cali double play ball in the next at bat ended the frame.

Georgia threatened with a two-out double from Cole Wagner followed by a walk issued to Sebastian Murillo, but Smith escaped by getting Fernando Gonzalez to fly out to right.

Sullivan worked his second 1-2-3 frame in three innings and gained a pair of strikeouts while doing so.

After issuing a one-out walk, Smith was taken deep to center by freshman Charlie Condon, who gave his team a 2-0 lead. Smith bounced back with a pair of quick outs to close the frame.

Jace Bohrofen lined a one-out single to center field, but he was stranded after a Ben McLaughlin strikeout.

Overshadowing anything else in the frame was a left hamstring injury to Tavian Josenberger on a groundout to first base. Josenberger came up in pain and was replaced in centerfield by Bohrofen and Hunter Grimes entered the game in left field.

A leadoff single and a two-out walk gave Georgia a pair of base runners, but Smith got out of trouble to keep the deficit at two runs.

Diggs led the frame off with a four-pitch walk and he came around courtesy of a two-run shot to left from Caleb Cali. Two batters later, Hudson Polk gave Arkansas a 3-2 lead with a solo shot to center.

Smith struck out the side to get him to eight strikeouts on the afternoon.

Sullivan faced the minimum for the fourth time on the afternoon to get through six innings.

Arkansas brought freshman RHP Gage Wood on to start the frame.

After issuing a leadoff walk and allowing the next batter to reach on a throwing error, Wood saw Georgia tie the game at 3-3 on an RBI sacrifice bunt from Murillo. The go-ahead run was left at second after a fly out from Gonzalez.

After issuing his third walk of the day to Diggs to leadoff the frame, Sullivan was pulled for RHP Kyle Greenler.

Arkansas loaded the bases with no outs for Hudson Polk, who hit a go-ahead RBI sac fly to give the Hogs a 4-3 lead. A John Bolton bunt scored Caleb Cali and Arkansas took a 5-3 lead over the Bulldogs. Greenler struck Grimes out and was then replaced by LHP Collin Caldwell with two outs.

Caldwell walked Stovall, but struck out Bohrofen to leave the bases loaded. Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn was ejected from the game for arguing the strike three call to Bohrofen.

A two-out RBI single from Connor Tate off Wood cut the Arkansas lead to 5-4. Following a walk from Wood, Arkansas pitching coach elected to bring freshman RHP Christian Foutch in with two outs and two on.

Foutch struck out Will David to strand the two runners.

After hitting Ben McLaughlin and giving up a double to Kendall Diggs, Caldwell's day was over. Georgia brought on RHP Nolan Crisp in relief.

Crisp's second pitch was taken deep to center by Cali for a three-run homer that put Arkansas ahead 8-4. After Crisp walked Slavens and got Polk to fly out, Georgia brought on RHP Zach DeVito.

DeVito struck out Grimes and was then replaced by LHP Jarvis Evans, who induced a groundout from Stovall to close the frame.

Foutch worked a 1-2-3 frame — the first for Arkansas since Smith stuck out the side in the bottom of the fifth.

Arkansas was retired in order in the top of the ninth.

Foutch loaded the bases via a leadoff walk and a pair of singles, which brought freshman RHP Ben Bybee into the game.

Bybee's fourth pitch of the game was hit deep to left by Connor Tate for a game-tying grand slam. The very next pitch, Parks Harber walked it off with a solo shot to center field.

**JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH ARKANSAS FANS ON THE TROUGH, HAWGBEAT'S PREMIUM MESSAGE BOARD**