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Arkansas Gets Right Bats Hot to Hold on in Final Mid-Week Game

Razorbacks now await arrival of Ole Miss for Top 25 showdown at Baum-Walker returning to SEC play.
Kent Smith|
A member of the Arkansas Razorbacks makes a heart shape with his hands on a day where fans can bring dogs to Baum-Walker to watch the Hogs.
A member of the Arkansas Razorbacks makes a heart shape with his hands on a day where fans can bring dogs to Baum-Walker to watch the Hogs. | Arkansas Communications

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Arkansas RazorbacksNorthwestern State Demons

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas needed to do all it could to go 5-0 in its lone soft week of the schedule during SEC play to put the Razorbacks in their best possible position to host heading into Resu-May.

Unfortunately, the Razorbacks became the first SEC victim of the year by taking a loss to Missouri in Columbia and then cancelled the first of two games against Northwestern State that looked more like it was the result of a 100% chance of Ole Miss this weekend than actual violent weather.

So, with a 5-0 opportunity cut down to a 2-1 situation, the Hogs desperately needed to come away with a win. Fortunately for Dave Van Horn's Razorbacks, they came away with a 5-2 win after a slow start to snag win No. 30 while avoiding a devastating hit to the team's No. 29 RPI.

One of the biggest goals for the midweek game, as it has been for a few week now, Arkansas wanted to get better hitting from its veterans to complement what freshman utility man Carter Rutenbar has been doing in the lead-off spot.

It turns out the veteran the Hogs need to get hot the most found his bat Wednesday and was the hero of the game of sorts. Kuhio Aloy, who has struggled at the plate during SEC play finally found his patience.

He broke through his rut by scoring a pair of runs and logging a pair of hits, one of which, a ground ball singled threaded tightly between short and third in the seventh scored Damian Ruiz, gave Arkansas a little breathing room at 4-2.

Rutenbar doubled to left-center in the eighth to set the table for Ryder Helfrick to keep the Hogs' tradition of putting up runs just before the outs run out.

The projected first round draft pick at catcher deposited a single to left to not only add insurance by driving in TJ Pompey, but slammed the door shut by making it 5-2 with Ethan McElvain on his way to the mound for the Hogs to officially finish the job.

Aloy began the day building his confidence by working a full count walk to lead off the second inning as part of a stretch where 6-of-8 Razorbacks reached base, yet Arkansas was unable to push a run across in a display of the frustrating side of the infamous "Money Ball" approach.

Arkansas trailed 2-0 late in the inning as a result of Tate McGuire wasting no time giving up the Hogs' customary first inning home run to the game's third batter, Ethan Menard, on the seventh pitch of the game.

Finally, with someone at the bottom of the line-up getting on base and pushing into scoring position, Rutenbar drove in Aloy on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1. The momentum immediately became contagious.

Shortstop Camden Kozeal smoked a ball to right-center that was dropped on a diving effort, but Reese Robinett, unfortunately for the Razorbacks, wasn't sent home after ball squirted out and was bobbled on the cut-off.

That cost the Hogs as Helfrick reached on a ball outside that left a pair of runners stranded, the fifth in two innings, and the Razorbacks short of evening up the score.

It was Aloy who built the momentum in the Bottom of the 4th. He blistered a 3-1 pitch to right-center, then Robinette reached on a slow, high chopper.

Rarely one to miss an opportunity to get an RBI, with the defense playing up on the grass with one out and Aloy at third and Robinette on second, Rutenbar deposited a line shot just over the defense into shallow left field to drive in Aloy to tie things up, 2-2.

Immediately after, Robinette tried to take home on a Kozeal grounder back to the pitcher and got tagged in the face for the out, which threw things off and caused the Razorbacks to be unable to take the lead.

Then came the seventh where it became clear Northwestern just wasn't going to have the firepower to pull off a patented SEC upset on this day. The Hogs got a single, walk and a hit by pitch by Kozeal, Ruiz and Souza respectively to load the bases with one up.

Maika Niu joined the club of eight Razorbacks who combined for 11 hits by ripping a liner to left field. Kozeal, feeling a strong wave of personal confidence, took a huge risk by tagging up at third on such a fast, low hit, but he was able to power through the catcher to score the leading run, 3-2, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Then Aloy then extended his arms over the outer part of the plate for his lone RBI that extended the lead to 4-2. It should be noted that Kozeal came out after slamming legs into catcher, but appeared to be OK in the dugout.

It looked like more of a cautionary move to keep Arkansas' hottest hitter available for Ole Miss. The Razorbacks begin the home series against the No. 17 Rebels in a Top 25 battle Friday night at 6 p.m.

Only the final game on Sunday will be broadcast at 2 p.m. on the SEC Network. The other pivotal SEC showdowns will be on streaming.

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments. 

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