The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (36-8, 13-6 SEC) dropped the series opener Friday night against the Florida Gators (29-15, 7-12 SEC) with a 6-4 loss at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Florida.
Arkansas starting pitcher Zach Root was tagged with five runs allowed — four earned — on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts across 4.1 innings. The numbers don't tell the whole story, as Root started the game very well and things trailed off near the end of his outing.
Florida starting pitcher Liam Peterson was a problem, as 11 of his first 12 outs in the contest came via strikes. The right-hander set a career-high with 13 punchouts across six innings in which he allowed three earned runs on five hits with two walks.
The Razorbacks recorded six hits in the game and all four of their runs came via home runs. Wehiwa Aloy and Cam Kozeal both hit solo homers, while Justin Thomas Jr. had a two-run shot in the top of the seventh inning. Arkansas had just one hit with runners in scoring position, which was Thomas' homer.
Wehiwa Aloy got the scoring going right away with a 411-foot solo home run off Peterson in the top of the first inning. Root needed just 10 pitches to retire the Gators in order in the bottom half.
First baseman Cam Kozeal made it a 2-0 lead of the Hogs with a leadoff homer to left-center in the top of the second inning. Despite putting on a pair of one out baserunners, the Hogs were unable to push anymore runs across in the frame. In the bottom half, Root again faced the minimum and added two more strikeouts to his name.
Although Charles Davalan knocked a two out single in the top of the third, Peterson otherwise struck out the side in his first scoreless inning. Root surrendered his first hit, a single, with two outs in the bottom half and that runner scored from first base on a failed pickoff attempt that went deep into foul territory to cut the Hogs' lead to 2-1 entering the fourth inning.
Peterson reached 11 punchouts by striking out the side in the top of the fourth inning. Florida managed to tie the game on a one out RBI single to center from left fielder Blake Cyr, but the Gators then left the bases loaded following Root's eighth strikeout of the game to keep the contest tied at two runs apiece.
After the Razorbacks were unable to capitalize on a one out single from Charles Davalan in the top of the fifth inning, the Gators logged three straight on out singles — the third of which was an RBI knock to give them a 3-2 lead — to chase Root and bring in right-hander Dylan Carter.
Right away, Carter gave up a three-run home run to Florida catcher Luke Heyman that made it a 6-2 deficit for Arkansas. Carter responded with back-to-back outs to limit the damage.
Peterson went 1-2-3 against the Hogs' bats in the top of the sixth inning, and he reached a career-best 13 strikeouts with two punchies in the frame. Carter followed suit by facing the minimum against the Florida bats in the bottom half of the sixth.
The Gators brought Peterson out for the top of the seventh, but quickly replaced him with righty Luke McNeillie after Peterson issued a leadoff walk. Arkansas outfielder Justin Thomas Jr. then cut the team's deficit in half with a two-run homer to right field that made it 6-4. Florida then brought in another reliever, Jake Clemente, who got out of the frame without allowing anymore scoring.
Arkansas turned to right-hander Christian Foutch in the bottom of the seventh following a one out walk from Carter. The flamethrowing junior retired the two batters he faced in the frame to strand the runner.
Clemente returned to the mound in the top of the eighth inning and he sat the Hogs down in order. Foutch also faced the minimum in the bottom half on just 12 pitches to keep the Florida lead to two runs with three outs to go for the Razorbacks.
Florida stuck with Clemente in the top of the ninth inning, and he went three up, three down with no problem to secure the 6-4 victory for the Gators.
Up next, Arkansas and Florida will meet again at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday for Game 2 of the series. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. CT and it'll be televised on SEC Network.
