Hogs dominate top-ranked Texas with flawless performance

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas played like the nation's No. 1 team while dominating and embarrassing the top-ranked Texas Longhorns on Thursday night with a flawless all-around performance.

Behind southpaw Zach Root's mound masterpiece and a pair of home runs, the Razorbacks whipped the Longhorns 9-0 in the series opener before 10,855 rowdy fans at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The 11th-ranked Hogs might've turned a proverbial corner with their textbook performance although Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn cautioned that his team had a chance to win each of their last three series but lost the final game.

"I told the team, that’s just one game and we’ve been here before," Van Horn said. "You still got work to do, but it obviously relaxes you a little bit. Maybe takes a little pressure off of you, but if you lose (Friday) night you’re even up going into game 3."

The Hogs lost the series opener to Texas A&M in Fayetteville two weeks ago and dropped game one at Florida last week, so Van Horn was ecstatic to gain the upper hand against a Texas team that had won 10 straight games.

"It makes you feel a lot better," he said. "It gives you some confidence, as well."

Arkansas improved to 38-9 overall, 15-7 in the SEC, good enough for second place behind Texas. The 'Horns are 38-6 and 19-3.

Longhorns coach Jim Schlossnagle tipped his cap to the Razorbacks while noting that both teams are fighting through injuries.

"Everybody in this league knows how great Arkansas' team is, even with the guys banged up," he said. "They have guys banged up. We're playing without our Friday night starter, without our player of the year last year, but that's no excuse."

Arkansas grabbed an early lead on Carson Boles' two-run homer in the second inning, which proved to be enough as Root allowed Texas just two singles and two walks. No Longhorn got as far as second base.

The Hogs padded their lead when Cam Kozeal turned a two-strike slider into a towering 411-foot blast that hit the top of the massive scoreboard to plate three more runs with two outs.

It became 7-0 in the fourth inning when Justin Thomas Jr. knocked in a run and Wehiwa Aloy delivered a two-run double with two outs.

Kozeal said producing with two strikes was a team goal after the Hogs failed to produce when behind in the count last weekend at Florida.

"We talked about it a lot from last week and how with two strikes we could do better," he said. "I think two-run to five-run lead, that's a big deal. It kind of deflates the other dugout."

Root's sensational performance didn't do much for the Longhorns' collective psyche, either. He struck out a season-high 11 against a team that tried to lure him to Austin after he entered the transfer portal from East Carolina.

"Zach Root just wasn't going to allow us to be in the game," Schlossnagle said. "We had him on a visit (last) summer, too, from East Carolina. He threw a fastball, slider, good curveball and change up. He really got the change up going. Pitched ahead in the count. He had a great night.”

The Hogs roughed up Texas starter Ruger Riojas, who surrendered nine earned runs and had an early exit with two outs in the fourth inning. His record slipped to 8-2.

"Ruger had a bad night. He's been awesome all season," Schlossnagle said.

Texas' coach said it was "obviously embarrassing" to watch his top-ranked team outplayed in all phases in front of an ESPN 2 audience. But he paid homage to the Hogs.

"They played awesome," he said. "Pitching, defense, timely hitting. They did all of it. We did none of it.

"So, let's move on to tomorrow. It’s way more about how we respond to this than it is what happened tonight."

Which brings to mind a timeless baseball adage: Momentum is only as good as the next day's starting pitcher.

The Hogs go for the series win in Friday's game two, scheduled for 7 p.m. on the SEC Network.

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