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Two Early Homers Power Arkansas to Another Weekend Sweep Over Portland

Early offense enough for Razorbacks to take care of non-conference foe

Daniel Shi

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Landon Beidelschies delivers a pitch against the Portland Pilots at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Landon Beidelschies delivers a pitch against the Portland Pilots at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas swept Portland Sunday, 5-3 at Baum-Walker Stadium Sunday to win its 11th straight game. It was the first time in a week that the Razorbacks had played a full nine-inning game.

"I knew it was going to be tight," coach Dave Van Horn said. "You just know it was going to be tight after what happened Friday and then yesterday, those run rules, you walk somebody off in a seven-inning game, and they sit there and watch I told our guys, 'We're going to get their best shot today.'"

The offense wasn't quite as potent as the previous two games of the series where Arkansas scored 30 runs in just 14 innings, but still featured two home runs.

Third baseman Brent Iredale tied the Aloy brothers Kuhio and Wehiwa for the team lead with six home runs. His 409-foot, three-run homer opened the scoring for the Hogs in the first.

Iredale finished the three game series against Portland 5-for-10 with three homers and 11 RBIs. His season average sits at .408.

Catcher Ryder Helfrick continues to provide pop for Arkansas towards the bottom of the order. He hit his third homer of the year, a 382-foot opposite field shot to give the Razorbacks a 4-1 lead in the second.

"My main thing is stacking quality at-bats and making sure that every at bat I have is quality," Helfrick said. "That's what I'm after, not batting average and chasing those. Swing is where I want it to be, it's just
making sure I'm swinging at the right pitches and not chasing out of the zone."

Righty starter Landon Beidelschies scattered eight hits across five innings of work to limit the damage to three runs. Van Horn sent him out for a sixth but pulled him after he allowed a leadoff homer and a single.

Beidelschies struck out six and left with a season ERA of 2.37.

Portland outhit the Razorbacks 10-7 but left eight runners on base to Arkansas' five. Lefty Parker Coil stranded the bases loaded in the sixth and kept his perfect ERA intact when first baseman Rocco Peppi snared a soft liner off the bat of pinch-hitter Kane Doyle and kept the 5-3 lead intact.

"It's hard to beat anybody three times in a row on the weekend," Van Horn said. "No matter how the first two go. They're solid. They played a lot better defense today than maybe they did Friday. It was a game we had to really had to earn it. Even though we got out-hit, we just didn't make any mistakes."

Coil still has not allowed an earned run through nine innings of work this season.

Arkansas' stable of relievers was put to good use as Aiden Jimenez, Christian Foutch and Carson Wiggins each pitched a scoreless inning behind Coil. Wiggins picked up his third save of the season with a game-ending 5-4-3 double play.

Arkansas closes its 10-game homestand against Central Arkansas 6 p.m. Tuesday. The game will be streamed on SEC+.

HOGS FEED:

• March Madness Alert: Red-Hot Hogs are a team to be feared

• Wagner became sparkplug driving Hogs' high-octane offense

• Hogs could emerge leader for Aggies' decommitted safety

• Resilient Razorbacks Accomplished What Few Thought Possible

• Calipari dragged Hogs to finish line, time for Aidoo to carry load in March

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Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI

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