The No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks (32-5, 12-3 SEC) were walked off by the No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs (32-6, 10-5 SEC) in a 7-6 extra-inning loss Sunday afternoon at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia.
Junior starter Landon Beidelschies didn't always have his best stuff, but fought through a three-run bottom of the second to provide 5.0 innings for the Diamond Hogs. The lefty allowed four earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
It was a relatively rough day for the offense, which managed just seven hits in 44 at-bats and struggled mightily against Georgia starter Leighton Finley. The Hogs struck out 15times and walked in just three at-bats. The team finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Despite that, the Razorbacks didn't go down quietly. Down two runs in the top of the ninth, catcher Ryder Helfrick and shortstop Wehiwa Aloy blasted solo home runs to tie the game. in the top of the 11th, leadoff man Charles Davalan drove in the lead-taking run with an RBI groundout.
Bullpen righty Carson Wiggins was electric in 2.0 innings, as he topped out at 102 MPH and collected four straight strikeouts at one point. The Bulldogs did get an unearned run against him plus one hit.
As a whole, Arkansas' bullpen combined for seven innings with three hits allowed, two earned runs, 11 strikeouts and zero walks.
Charles Davalan walked on four pitches to open Sunday's rubber match, but that was met with back-to-back outs against Wehiwa Aloy (strikeout) and Logan Maxwell (popup). Fortunately for the Hogs, Kuhio Aloy reached base on a catcher's interference. With Davalan now on second, Cam Kozeal lined one out to center field, and after the centerfielder failed to come up with the catch, Davalan scored to hand Arkansas a 1-0 lead.
Unlike yesterday's game, Arkansas got off to a good start on the mound thanks to starting left-hander Landon Beidelschies, who worked a 1-2-3 frame with two groundouts and a strikeout.
Georgia starter Leighton Finley was excellent in the second inning, as he struck out Gabe Fraser and Ryder Helfrick. Kendall Diggs reached first on an error, but he was stranded.
The second frame didn't go as well for Beidelschies, however. After picking up the first two outs fairly easily, he gave up a hit-by-pitch, double and homerun to make it 3-1, Bulldogs.
Arkansas' lone baserunner in the third was Maxwell. Dave Van Horn challenged what he believed was catcher's interference, but after replay, it was deemed there was none. Naturally, on the very next pitch, there was catcher's interference and Maxwell reached first base.
Beidelschies got tagged with a leadoff bomb to left field in the bottom of the third, which made it 4-1 Bulldogs. The southpaw worked around a double to get out without allowing any more damage.
The Razorbacks got a run back against Georgia in the top of the fourth with a solo blast courtesy of Helfrick. That made it 4-2 at the time.
After a quick 1-2-3 frame for Beidelschies to close the fourth, Davalan led the fifth off with a double. He managed to reach third base, but was left there after Kuhio Aloy struck out looking.
Finley quickly retired Kozeal and Brent Iredale to start the sixth, but before he could face Fraser, Georgia made a pitching change to lefty Alton Davis II. Davis retired Fraser with one pitch.
Freshman right Carson Wiggins entered the game for Arkansas in the bottom of the sixth, and he struck out the side while topping out at 102 MPH.
Davis opened the seventh with a three-pitch strikeout on Helfrick. However, pinch-hitter Carson Boles walked and then Davalan walked to force a pitching change. Righty Zach Harris took the mound to face Wehiwa Aloy, who singled to open the door for a Georgia error, which scored Boles. The frame ended with Georgia leading 4-3.
Wiggins struck out his fourth batter to start the bottom of the seventh, but a hit-by-pitch and error allowed the runner to move to second base. The runner then stole third and was driven in on a sac-fly to make it 5-3, Bulldogs.
Bullpen righty Tyler McLoughlin took the mound in the eighth for Georgia and promptly set down the Razorbacks in order with two fly outs and a punchout.
The Hogs also made a pitching change in the eighth to veteran righty Dylan Carter, who handled business with three strikeouts.
With three outs left in the top of the ninth, Helfrick led off with a first-pitch shot over the wall in left field to make it 5-4, Bulldogs. After two outs by Boles and Davalan, Wehiwa Aloy sent a moonshot over the scoreboard in center field to tie things up, 5-5.
With the game on the line, Arkansas tasked right-hander Aiden Jimenez with getting three outs in the bottom of the ninth. He did just that with a groundout, flyout and strikeout.
Following Arkansas' 1-2-3 frame in the top of the 10th, Jimenez matched with his own 1-2-3 outing to close the inning.
Fraser led off the 11th with a single past first base, and after a quick review, he was called safe. Helfrick successfully laid down a bunt to advance Fraser to second base. Boles put a routine groundball in play to third base, but an error allowed Fraser to advance to third and Boles to be safe at first. Davalan drove in the lead-taking run with an RBI groundout to make it 6-5, Arkansas.
Jimenez got two quick outs to start the bottom of the 11th before plunking a Bulldog to give them a baserunner. He then gave up his first hit, a double to left field, which scored the run to tie the game. Freshman lefty Cole Gibler entered the game and recorded the final out to send us to the 12th.
Arkansas went down in order in the top of the 12th. Gibler responded with two straight punchouts, but allowed the walk-off solo homer to end the game.
Up next, Arkansas will welcome Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a midweek matchup at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. First pitch for Tuesday's game is set for 6 p.m. CT and it will stream on SEC Network+.
