Razorbacks Come Back From Seven Down To Finish Late Night Rally Over Red Raiders
Nolan Souza's pinch-hit walk off sac fly caps off Arkansas erasing seven-run defecit
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas snapped a two-game losing skid and won its 24th straight inside Baum-Walker Stadium in walk-off fashion against Texas Tech, 9-8, on a sac fly of the bat of Nolan Souza.
"Just proud of our guys," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "They rallied and just kept going and found a way to win against a team that can really hit. We’ve got our hands full again tomorrow."
Jared Sprague-Lott led off the bottom of the ninth by reaching on an error. Then Texas Tech's Parker Huytra slipped while trying to start a double play at second base on a Wehiwa Aloy comebacker to the mound, putting two runners on with no outs. Ben McLaughlin loaded the bases after getting hit a pitch, setting the stage for Souza's fly ball to right to send a crowd of 9,770 home happy.
Even the magic of Baum-Walker couldn't save the scuffling Razorbacks in the early going. After retiring the side in order with two strikeouts looking in the top of the first, starter Ben Bybee ran into trouble straight away. A hard grounder to second ate up Peyton Stovall to start the second. A two-run homer and four straight singles chased Bybee from the game after recording four outs, ballooning his season ERA from 1.00 to 6.10.
Christian Foutch came in with runners on the corners and just one out and was one pitch away from getting out of the jam without further damage. Austin Green, batting for the second time in the inning, hit a knuckling line drive to right. Right fielder Will Edmunson got a late break coming in and couldn't make up for the lost ground on a dive, driving in two more.
Texas Tech stretched its lead to 7-0 after Gavin Kash led off the fourth with a double. The Razorbacks got that run back in the bottom of the fourth and broke the shutout on a Jack Wagner RBI single.
Staring down the barrel of their first three-game skid of the season and a 23-game home winning streak on life support, the Hogs put up a six-spot in the fifth. Jayson Jones, making just his 13th start of the season, led off with a double to straightaway center off the wall. Edmunson, Peyton Holt and Peyton Stovall all reached. Holt, making his first career start in centerfield, drew the Hogs one closer with an RBI single. Sprague-Lott grounded into a double play, but plated a run to make it 7-3.
The Razorbacks got some good fortune as Wehiwa Aloy skied a pop fly perfectly between the third baseman and the left fielder to drive home another run on an RBI double. McLaughlin made it a one-run game with a 377-foot two-run homer to left-center.
Hudson White, playing against his old team, hit a game-tying RBI double.
Green, already with a double and two singles, hit a go-ahead homer off Will McEntire into the right-field corner to lead off the seventh. McEntire has now given up an earned run in three straight appearances after seven of the previous eight were scoreless.
Jones led off the eighth with his second double of the game. Ty Wilmsmeyer pinch-ran and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With runners on the corners and one out, Stovall hit a grounder to second and just beat out a potential inning-ending 4-6-3 double play that allowed Wilmsmeyer to score the tying run and make it 8-8.
The Razorbacks will conclude the two-game series against Texas Tech Wednesday 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
HOGS FEED:
• Razorbacks trying to land McDonald's All-American under Calipari
• Kicking game work in progress with Little gone to chase NFL dream
• Expectations for Calipari's first player on the roster for next season
• Subscribe and follow us on YouTube