Razorbacks roll Racers in 11-1 run rule victory
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks (8-2) secured a series win over the Murray State Racers (6-4) with an 11-1 run rule victory in eight innings Saturday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The strikeouts from Arkansas starting pitchers continued to pile up, as junior right-hander Brady Tygart logged 10 during his start Saturday. Tygart didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the third inning, and the Racers scored just one run on him via a solo shot in the top of the fifth.
"I think he was just pounding the outer half to the right handers with that fastball," head coach Dave Van Horn said postgame. "And he got ahead of them. His breaking ball today was just … it’s the best it’s been all year. So I would just say the location of the fastball and then the breaking ball, man, it was really nasty."
Tygart gave up just three hits and he walked only one batter on the day. He threw 76 total pitches and 51 were strikes.
Arkansas' bats woke up after a rather disappointing showing during Friday's series-opening win over Murray State. The Razorbacks drove in 11 runs on 11 hits and seven of the nine starters recorded a hit on the day.
The Razorbacks were 9 of 19 at the plate with runners on, and they were 7 of 13 with runners in scoring position. Of the 11 runs scored, nine were plated across the fourth and fifth innings.
"It was just a good job of putting together that (fourth) inning in a tight game that was going really fast," Van Horn said. "In the fifth we kind of gave ourselves a big lead there after they hit a home run. I always like it when our team comes back and scores when the other team scores so I’m proud of them there."
Tygart struck out the side on 16 pitches to start things off in the top of the first. Murray State starter Bryce Valero threw 18 pitches in a scoreless bottom half, but that was after he walked the first two batters. Valero benefited from leadoff batter Will Edmunson getting caugh stealing second and the wind knocking down a ball hit 105 mph off the bat of Wehiwa Aloy that likely would've been a homer.
In the top of the second, Tygart sandwiched a groundout to third between a pair of three-pitch strikeouts for another perfect frame. The Arkansas lineup went down in order in the bottom of the second.
Tygart added a pair of three-pitch punchies to start the third inning and made it another 1-2-3 frame with a lineout from Racers' second baseman Logan Bland. Arkansas threatened in the bottom half after an Edmunson single put runners on the corners with one out. Kendall Diggs then struck out and Aloy hit into a fielder's choice to strand a pair.
Murray State took the no-hitter away from Tygart with a two-out single from right fielder Jonathan Hogart in the top of the fourth. The Arkansas right-hander retired the next batter to strand his first base runner.
After Valero issued a four-pitch walk to Ben McLaughlin to lead off the bottom of the fourth, the Racers turned to ace right-hander Jacob Pennington with the game still scoreless and a victory well within reach.
Things went the opposite of how the Racers hoped, as the senior righty saw each of the first four batters he faced reach base, with the fourth batter being freshman Nolan Souza, who hit a two-RBI single up the middle to make it 3-0. Arkansas tagged Pennington for one more run in the frame to make it a four-run lead after four innings.
"They knew that (Pennington) had a really good outing last week," Van Horn said. "I don’t think he had an ERA going into today. I’m not sure. But I thought we did a good job. Tough situation to come in on, I think maybe the bases were loaded, one out, no outs, whatever it was. We got a couple of hits. I don’t know what all went on in that inning. I thought we attacked him pretty good."
After the extended break from the bottom of the fourth, Tygart gave up a leadoff solo homer in the top of the fifth. He bounced back with two straight strikeouts and then stranded a pair of two-out base runners that reached via a single and walk.
Pennington gave up a leadoff solo homer to Diggs — his first of the year — and he gave up two more RBI hits to Ross Lovich (double) and Jayson Jones (single) before he was relieved by lefty Jordyn Naranjo.
Arkansas plated two runs on Naranjo, who earned just one out in four batters faced before he was relieved by right-hander Jacob Hustedde. The freshman righty got Aloy to groundout and end the frame after Arkansas made it a 9-1 game.
Fifth-year senior right-hander Will McEntire relieved Tygart in the top of the sixth, and he worked a vintage six-pitch, 1-2-3 frame to begin his outing.
Hustedde worked around a one-out walk to face just one more than the minimum in the bottom of the sixth, and McEntire one-upped the Racers' freshman with his second straight perfect frame in the top of the seventh.
"Really good job," Van Horn said of McEntire. "I think he threw two innings, 16 pitches, so he’s available again tomorrow if we need him."
Arkansas went down in order against Murray State right-handed reliever Kane Elmy in the bottom of the seventh. The Hogs then turned to sophomore right-hander Cooper Dossett, who built off an elite midweek showing against Grambling with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame.
Murray State brought on right-hander Malik Pogue in the bottom of the eighth, and he was tagged with two RBI hits from Sprague-Lott and Lovich, who "walked it off" with an RBI double to right-center that sent the run rule into effect.
Up next, the Razorbacks and Racers will close the series Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed on the SEC Network+.
Box Score
