Pitching Carries Razorbacks to Friday Night Win Over South Carolina
Offense plays small ball to eke out victory over Gamecocks
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas snapped a two-game SEC skid against South Carolina with a 2-1 pitchers duel on Friday night. Hagen Smith, Gabe Gaeckle and Stone Hewlett allowed just four hits and striking out 16.
"We were so close to breaking that thing open like three different times," coach Dave Van Horn said. "We just needed one big hit or something to drop and it never happened. We found a way to hang on."
The scuffling Razorback offense came alive in the sixth inning, mostly thanks to South Carolina. Down 1-0 in the top of the sixth, Arkansas scored two runs on two walks, a bunt single, two wild pitches and a sac fly.
With the bases loaded and one out, Ben McLaughlin scampered home on a ball that got away from Gamecocks' catcher Cole Messina to snap a 15-inning scoreless streak in SEC play.
Arkansas took the lead on a flyball to center off the bat of Jack Wagner.
Smith turned in yet another dominate outing. Despite striking out 11 in six innings, he worked around traffic all night, issuing six free baserunners (four walks, one intentional walk and a hit batter).
"My command was obviously not my best," Smith said. "Kind of had all my pitches working for most of the game."
South Carolina took advantage of the free passes in the bottom of the fifth. Two walks and an infield single loaded the bases with just one out. Parker Noland plated a run on a deep grounder in the hole to Wehiwa Aloy, who did a nice job preventing additional damage with a running throw to first.
South Carolina had a run saving play of their own in the third when Ethan Petry caught a looping liner with runners on first and second and two outs.
After Smith left the game in the bottom of the seventh, Christian Foutch was first out of the bullpen and immediately ran into trouble not retiring either of the two batters he faced. A single and a hit batter to the eight and nine hole hitters forced Van Horn to go back to the bullpen. Gaeckle came in and put out the fire, getting two flyouts and a strikeout against the top of the Gamecocks' order to preserve a one-run lead.
"I had the same mindset going into it that I have in every other outing," Gaeckle said. "Just pounding the zone and make them hit it. Luckily, I’ve got really good defense behind me. When they put it in play, they were outs and I was able to get out of it."
The Razorbacks were unable to come to grips with the concept of pushing across insurance runs despite loading the bases in the eighth and the ninth. The two teams combined to leave 24 runners on base.
Gaeckle struck out two in the ninth before allowing a two-out double. Stone Hewlett got the final out with the tying run in scoring position with a grounder to first off the bat of Parker Noland.
Due to forecasted inclement weather, the teams will play a double header on Saturday with the day off Sunday. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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