Moore hits for the cycle in midweek blowout vs. UCA

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A sixth-inning double completed a cycle for Robert Moore and the Razorbacks cruised to a historic 21-8 win over in-state foe Central Arkansas on Tuesday.

It was the first time an Arkansas player has accomplished the rare feat since Kyle Harris did it against Tennessee in 1994.

“Well obviously it was a great day at the plate,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “Not only did he hit for the cycle, but I like it that he drove in six runs. Those RBIs, that means you’re scoring. There’s been probably a lot of cycles that have been a lot less exciting than his because he was really helping the team win."

Moore actually reached base all six times he went to the plate, going 4 for 4 with a walk and a hit by pitch to go along with his six RBIs and four runs.

The triple came first, as he hit a ball of the top of the wall that bounced away from UCA's outfielders, allowing two runs to score in the second inning. A first-pitch single in the fourth and leadoff home run in the fifth set up the final leg of the cycle.

He capped his tremendous day at the plate with a bases-loaded double to the right field wall, which gave him his final three RBIs.

“Probably one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had playing this game and one of the most fun and exciting experiences,” Moore said. “The coolest part was just celebrating with my coaches and my teammates at the end of this, and just getting the hugs from Coach Thompson and my teammates.”

In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Arkansas' bats were red hot against the Bears, scoring their most runs since 2018, when the Razorbacks scored 32 against Bucknell in the second game of the season.

“Offensively, they just did a tremendous job,” Van Horn said. “We swung the bats really well and hit the ball hard and put together a couple of really big innings.”

It was a back-and-forth game early, until the Razorbacks broke the game open in the fourth inning, bringing 7 players across home plate.

The home run ball seemed to be the go-to for Arkansas, as it hit 5 on the day - Moore, Dylan Leach and Charlie Welch had one apiece and Jalen Battles hit two - adding the hit total to 20.

The whole lineup contributed in the hit column, with Moore leading the way with four and Battles and Matt Goodheart each notching three. Leach and Welch had multiple hits, too.

“I just think that the approach tonight is kind of what we’ve been doing,” Van Horn said. “The guys were really locked in, even when the game was in control, guys wanted to get their hit and didn’t want to be the only guy that didn’t get one because a couple didn’t have them, and they got them late.”

Kole Ramage started the game and went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk, and two strikeouts.

Veteran Caleb Bolden really struggled as the first guy out of the pen and Elijah Trest wasn't particularly sharp, but three inexperienced pitchers threw a scoreless inning apiece to end the game.

Freshman righty Gabriel Starks came into close the game and ended the Bears’ hopes of completing a miraculous comeback by pitching a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts.

"It was interesting, those young guys at the end, they threw with a lot of emotion," Van Horn said. "You could just tell they didn’t care what the score was. They were coming out there, trying to earn a position or a job or more time on the mound and I appreciate their effort."

Arkansas has its next game Thursday in the series opener against Auburn at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on SEC Network-Plus.