Razorbacks second baseman Peyton Holt against Texas A&M on Saturday in the SEC Tournament — (Southeastern Conference)

HOW IT HAPPENED: Hogs Can't Beat Aggies for Fifth Time

Razorback comeback falls just short in 5-4 loss to Texas A&M to end run at SEC

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
May 27, 2023 4:31 PM EDT

In this story:

Arkansas beat Texas A&M four times in the last month, but couldn't do it Saturday in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, falling 5-4 in Hoover, Ala.

The Razorbacks used six pitchers in a scramble to stay close as the Aggies were making plays and a big eighth-inning comeback that pulled them within one, but left too many guys on base, including the tying run in the ninth.

The Hogs are now 41-16 on the season and will still host an NCAA Regional at Baum-Walker Stadium next week, then possibly a Super Regional the next week if they win thatone. Teams, game times and that information will be announced Monday.

We'll have an in-game blog here with updates as they happen. The Razorbacks' lineup doesn't have any startling changes or adjustments.

The Hogs swept a three-game series with the Aggies back on April 27-29 and opened play in the tournament Wednesday with a 6-5 win in 11 innings. A&M knocked LSU out of the tournament Friday, surprising a lot of people,

1st Inning

Hogs: Tavian Josenberger can't figure out a way to get on base and Kendall Diggs slides a grounder past the Aggies' shortstop, but Jace Bohrofen hits into a double play to end the top of the inning.

Aggies: Tygart sets A&M down in order with a line drive down the third base line Caleb Cali snares and two strikeouts to end the first inning. Hogs 0, Aggies 0

2nd Inning

Hogs: Obviously aware of what Jared Wegner has done coming back to the lineup, the Aggies pitch around him and walk him to first. Then it's three-up, three-down and a quiet start to the game.

Aggies: Tygart walks the first A&M batter, then hits the second on the first pitch and it's five straight pitches that haven't found the plate. The Hogs send guys to the bullpen. Maybe that's what he needed because he strikes out the next guy, then a 5-4-3 double play that probably wasn't exactly perfect but got out of the inning. Hogs 0, Aggies 0

3rd Inning

Hogs: John Bolton gets a one-out single, but Josenberger strikes out followed by a strikeout by Diggs for nothing to happen in a fast-moving game.

Aggies: Tygart gets a couple of quick outs before giving up his first hit of the game Hunter Haas with a little flare into left field, then walks a batter (his second) and A&M has a runner in scoring position for the second time in the game. Trevor Werner pushes the first run of the game across with a double to the base of the wall in center field that Josenberger played about as well as possible to leave it at one run. Aggies 1, Hogs 0

4th Inning

Hogs: Nobody gets on base as groundouts by Bohrofen and Wegner followed by a Brady Slavens' strikeout ends things quickly.

Aggies: Tygart gives up a lead-off double and probably won't finish the fourth, being "up and down" as Dave Van Horn described in a quick SEC Network interview. He doesn't, lasting 64 pitches before Will McEntire comes in to close things quickly. Aggies 1, Hogs 0

5th Inning

Hogs: Back-to-back singles from Cali and Peyton Holt loads the bases with one out when Bolton is hit by a pitch. Josenberger hit a popup that was caught beside first and Diggs struck out with the bases loaded.

Aggies: McEntire gets a pair of outs, then gives up a single that goes nowhere and a strikeout to end the inning. Aggies 1, Hogs 0

6th Inning

Hogs: A pair of strikeouts after a groundout to the first baseman and people are already starting to look up the last time the Razorbacks were shut out (June 23 against Ole Miss last year in College World Series).

Aggies: A one-out single is followed by a strikeout, then a double down the left-field line by Austin Bost scores a run and leaves a runner in scoring position and Van Horn goes straight to the bullpen, bringing in Gage Wood, who promptly walks a batter for runners at first and second, then loads the bases with a walk and a third straight walk brings in another run and after a sub-committee meeting of the infield, Van Horn yanks him to bring in the third pitcher of the game, Parker Coil. He promptly walks in another batter, turning this into a free pass parade around the bases for A&M. He finally ends it with a ground-out at third to Cali. Aggies 4, Hogs 0

7th Inning

Hogs: Cali leads off with a double and a one-out double by Ben McLaughlin scores the first Razorback run in the game. Bolton hits a sharp liner into right-center that newly-inserted centerfielder Stanley Tucker makes a diving grab, gets a two-out single by Josenberger and A&M changes pitchers. Diggs grounds out to second and the Razorbacks have stranded seven runners on base, three of them in scoring position.

Aggies: Coil gets a quick out then gives up a single and a double to left field that puts Aggies on second and third with one out. Van Horn goes back to the bullpen, bringing in Christian Foutch in an effort to keep this game from getting out of hand. He gets a grounder to a drawn-in Bolton at shortstop for an easy second out. The bases are now loaded again and pitching coach Matt Hobbs comes to the mound. He gets the final out on the strikeout and A&M has left the bases loaded the last two innings. Aggies 4, Hogs 1

8th Inning

Hogs: It's a quick inning for the Razorbacks, going three-up, three-down and just three outs left in a big hole.

Aggies: Austin Ledbetter in to pitch for the Razorbacks. He is the sixth pitcher Van Horn has tried. He gets a fly-out to left and gives up a double to right-center field. A deep fly out Josenberger chases down in left-center field at the wall moves an Aggie to third with two outs. A line single to right brings in another run and digs the Hogs' hole a little deeper. A line out to left ends the inning but it's going to require a huge ninth inning. Aggies 5, Hogs 1

9th Inning

Hogs: Cali leads off with a double and Holt gets on base getting hit by a pitch, but then a fly-out before Bolton delivers a line double to right field, scoring Cali and Holt to bring in another Aggies pitcher (fourth). A little drama with the tying run coming to the plate for the Razorbacks against Troy Wansing, the starter Wednesday. Josenberger delivers a single that can only move Bolton to third. Diggs, who walked off the LSU game, Delivers a ground-out to bring another run in when the first baseman can't handle the throw from the shortstop. Bohrofen strikes out and Wegner strikes out to end the game. Aggies 5, Hogs 4