The No.7 Arkansas Razorbacks (32-11, 13-7 SEC) secured a series victory with a 10-4 win in Game 2 against the Texas A&M Aggies (25-18, 9-11 SEC) on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
Sophomore right-hander Brady Tygart earned the start and took care of business in his first outing since March 1. Tygart faced one more than the minimum and threw 20 pitches in the first inning, which was the only frame he threw.
Veteran righty Will McEntire tossed 5 2/3 innings of relief and earned a season-best eight strikeouts while giving up three earned runs. Freshman Gage Wood closed things down with four strikeouts across the final two innings.
Arkansas plated runs in six innings on the evening and it was 7-for-16 at the plate with runners on base. Jace Bohrofen and Ben McLaughlin both drove in a pair of RBIs on the evening.
HawgBeat provided live inning-by-inning updates from Friday's contest:
Starting lineups
Texas A&M
1. Hunter Haas SS
2. Jack Moss 1B
3. Trevor Werner 3B
4. Brett Minnich RF
5. Austin Bost 2B
6. Jace LaViolette LF
7. Ryan Targac DH
8. Jordan Thompson CF
9. Max Kaufer C
P - Nathan Dettmer
Arkansas
1. Kendall Diggs RF
2. Peyton Stovall 2B
3. Jace Bohrofen CF
4. Caleb Cali 3B
5. Ben McLaughlin DH
6. Brady Slavens 1B
7. Mason Neville LF
8. Parker Rowland C
9. John Bolton SS
P - Brady Tygart
Top 1
After retiring the first two batters on nine pitches, Brady Tygart issued a two-out walk to Trevor Werner. He bounced back by forcing a groundout from Brett Minnich on his 20th pitch of the frame.
Bottom 1
Nathan Dettmer faced the minimum in the frame after issuing a one-out walk that was erased on a Jace Bohrofen strikeout followed by Peyton Stovall being caught stealing second.
Top 2
RHP Will McEntire came on in relief of Tygart.
After McEntire allowed the first two batters to reach, Ryan Targac drove in the first run of the game with an RBI sacrifice fly to center. McEntire bounced back with a pair of outs to keep the deficit at 1-0.
Bottom 2
Caleb Cali led the frame off with a four-pitch walk. Dettmer walked Ben McLaughlin and was then taken out of the game for what looked like a medical issue.
LHP Evan Aschenbeck came on to relieve Dettmer. Hunter Grimes pinch hit for Mason Neville for matchup purposes, and Grimes drove Cali home on an RBI sacrifice fly that tied the game at 1-1 after two innings.
Top 3
McEntire worked a 1-2-3 frame, which was capped off by back-to-back strikeouts.
Bottom 3
After hitting a two-out single, Peyton Stovall was brought around courtesy of an RBI double to right from Jace Bohrofen that gave Arkansas a 2-1 lead after three.
Top 4
A two-out walk was no problem for McEntire, who struck out the next batter and benefited from Parker Rowland catching the runner — Austin Bost — stealing third.
Bottom 4
Brady Slavens led things off with a stand-up triple on a chopper to first. He scored via an RBI bunt single from Parker Rowland that made it a 3-1 game.
After John Bolton advanced Hunter Grimes and Rowland, Grimes scored via an RBI single to first from Kendall Diggs. Rowland crossed home courtesy of an RBI sac fly from Peyton Stovall that made it four-run Arkansas lead.
A fly out to center from Caleb Cali finally allowed Aschenbeck to get out of the frame.
Top 5
Max Kaufer took McEntire deep to left with a 377-foot two-out solo homer, but the Arkansas righty bounced back with a three-pitch strikeout.
Bottom 5
The Aggies turned to RHP Josh Stewart to start the inning.
Ben McLaughlin took Stewart's third pitch down the left field line for a leadoff double. McLaughlin scored via a wild pitch with two outs to put Arkansas up 6-2 after five innings.
Top 6
McEntire worked his third three up, three down inning of the game and earned his sixth strikeout in the process.
Bottom 6
Arkansas was went down in order for the first time on the evening. It marked the first frame since the bottom of the first that Arkansas didn't score a run in.
Top 7
McEntire started the inning with two strikeouts to get to a season-high eight on the day.
After issuing a two-out walk, McEntire was pulled for freshman RHP Christian Foutch.
Foutch's second pitch was driven 410-feet to left for a two-run homer for Jordan Thompson that made it a 6-4 Arkansas lead. After issuing back-to-back walks, Foutch was relieved by RHP Gage Wood.
Wood hit Jack Moss with a pitch to load the bases for the Aggies. The Arkansas freshman bounced back with a three-pitch strikeout to strand the runners.
Bottom 7
A one-out single from Caleb Cali was followed up by a two-run homer from Ben McLaughlin — his second as a Razorback. The next two Hogs went down on strikes to keep the lead at 8-4.
Top 8
Wood started the inning with two straight strikeouts and he ended the 1-2-3 frame by forcing a groundout to third.
Bottom 8
Parker Rowland led things off with a four-pitch walk. He scored after a Kendall Diggs single was followed up by a throwing error from the shortstop.
The Aggies turned to LHP Shane Sdao after the error.
Jace Bohrofen had a 107 mph comebacker hit off Sdao and it made its way into single to score Diggs.
A McLaughlin fly out to left closed the frame.
Top 9
Wood loaded the bases with two outs, but he forced a groundout to third to secure the victory for Arkansas.
