FAYETTEVILLE — Tennessee came into this weekend’s series with the best ERA in the country, but don’t tell Arkansas.
For the second straight day, the Razorbacks jumped all over the Volunteers early. They put together back-to-back four-run innings and cruised to a 15-3 win over the No. 20 Volunteers, clinching the series.
The 15 runs came on 18 hits by Arkansas, a day after it managed 11 runs on 16 hits. The most Tennessee had allowed before the series was 10 runs and 16 hits.
Jordan McFarland got things started with a leadoff home run in the third inning and a few batters later, Casey Martin made it 4-0 with a three-run home run.
In the next inning, RBI doubles by Trevor Ezell and Heston Kjerstad scored three more runs and chased Tennessee ace Garrett Stallings after just 3 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.
Facing Tennessee reliever Will Neely, Dominic Fletcher drove in another run with a single, so Stallings was officially charged with eight earned runs. That matched his career high, while his three strikeouts were a season low.
Freshman left-hander Patrick Wicklander, on the other hand, was dominant for the Razorbacks. He retired the first eight batters of the game before issuing a walk and then didn’t give up a hit until Jake Rucker reached on a bunt single with one out in the fifth.
The Volunteers finally got to him in the sixth, with Alerick Soularie getting them on the board with a two-out RBI double. After an RBI single by Evan Russell and a walk to the next batter, he was removed from the game.
Wicklander received a standing ovation as he left the field after a career-long 5 2/3 innings in which he was charged with two earned runs on four hits and two walks. He also struck out seven.
The game was still well in hand, but Kjerstad added some more fire works with a leadoff home run in the sixth and three-run shot that cleared the scoreboard, with the latter having a 36-degree launch angle and 106 mile per hour exit velocity, helping it travel 438 feet. That gave him 12 home runs for the season.
In between Kjerstad’s long balls, Martin hit a two-run single with the bases loaded and then Christian Franklin tacked on another with an RBI single in the eighth.
The only other run Tennessee managed was a leadoff home run by Zach Daniels in the eighth.
Before the last two games, the Volunteers had an NCAA-leading 2.68 ERA and the country’s second best WHIP at 1.06. Those numbers have jumped to 3.15 and 1.13.
Arkansas will try to complete the sweep at 4 p.m. Sunday in a game that will be televised on the SEC Network.
Freshman right-hander Connor Noland (2-2, 4.60 ERA) is expected to start the for the Razorbacks and the Volunteers will counter with junior right-hander Zach Linginfelter (6-4, 3.91 ERA).
Other Tidbits
~Arkansas drew another large crowd Saturday night, with a paid attendance of 11,594 and “tickets scanned” number of 9,842. That second number is a season high.
~Ezell’s leadoff single in the first inning gave him 300 hits in his career, including his time at Southeast Missouri State. He finished the game 3 for 4, giving him 51 hits with the Razorbacks and 302 hits as a collegian.
~With his fourth-inning double, Kjerstad has now reached base safely in 16 consecutive games. That matches the longest streak of his career, which he set last year.
~In a baseball oddity, Jacob Kostyshock was credited with 1/3 of an inning without officially facing a batter. On his second pitch, catcher Casey Opitz picked off a runner at first to end he inning.
~After injuring his shoulder diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt in the sixth inning Friday night, Matt Goodheart did not play in Saturday’s game.
~McFarland got the start at designated hitter in Goodheart’s place and went 2 for 3 with a double, home run, walk and hit by pitch. He has a hit in his last five appearances, going 9 for 18 with one double, two home runs and six RBIs.
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