FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks (5-2) were unable to complete the series sweep, as they fell to the Eastern Illinois Panthers (4-2), 12-3, on a cloudy Sunday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Eastern Illinois scored 10 runs across the seventh and eight innings against four Arkansas relievers. The Panthers were 8-17 at the plate with two outs and 7-16 with runners on, and they had 14 hits in the contest compared to Arkansas' four. Six of EIU's runs scored with two outs, and it dominated 0-2 counts against the Razorback bullpen.
After a slow start in the first inning, Razorback starter Hunter Hollan recorded 15 outs against 15 batters until the Panthers' Cole Gober hit a solo homer with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Back-to-back singles ended Hollan's day after 5 2/3 innings, and the Panthers took over in the top of the seventh.
Arkansas went down in order in six innings and it saw 10 or less pitches in five innings as well. The Razorbacks recorded just one hit across the final four innings of the game.
Here's a recap of the Diamond Hogs' second loss of the season.
After a 30-pitch first inning that saw a run cross home for the Panthers, Hollan settled in to throw just 27 pitches over the next three frames.
Arkansas right fielder Jace Bohrofen crushed a moonshot to right field that tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning. Trackman analytics had the ball traveling 379 feet, but it looked more like 400-plus.
Hollan's fourth straight 1-2-3 inning set the Hogs up for a two-run bottom of the fifth inning. John Bolton drove Mason Neville home on and RBI double to left and Tavian Josenberger brought Bolton around with an RBI single on the next at bat.
After giving up a two-out solo homer and back-to-back singles in the top of the sixth, Hollan was pulled for right-hander Cody Adcock, who stranded both runners with an inning-ending strikeout.
Adcock returned to the mound in the top of the seventh, and things didn't go well. The Crowder College transfer saw four runs score on four hits with two outs — including back-to-back home runs to left field. He induced a foul out to get out of the inning and end his day on the bump.
Lefty Zack Morris came on in the top of the eighth, recorded just one out and let three batters reach base. Freshman right-hander Gage Wood relieved Morris, but couldn't record and out and he left the bases loaded for left-hander Parker Coil after walking the two batters he faced.
Four runs crossed the plate with Coil on the mound, but just one was charged to him and the Panthers led 12-3 by the time Coil could get out of the frame.
Freshman right-hander Cooper Dossett sat down three of his four batters faced in the top of the ninth, but the Hogs couldn't rally from down nine in the bottom of the frame as they went down in order to finish the game.
Up next, the Diamond Hogs will host Illinois State for one game on Wednesday at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. CT and it will be streamed on the SEC Network Plus.
