Live Blog: Razorbacks Manage to Hang on Late for Win

It's even better defeating the Texas Longhorns, especiall after Hagen Smith's big start

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Feb 18, 2023 12:36 AM EST

In this story:

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Arkansas Razorbacks survived a tight game with the Texas Longhorns in the season opener in Arlington in the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field.

Here's a recap of how things played out.

Before it all started

Good evening Arkansas fans and welcome to Globe Life FIeld, the home of the Texas Rangers down in Arlington, Texas.

Tonight we have the first of three games for the Dave Van Horn's Razorbacks as No. 8 Arkansas gets set to take on an unranked Texas Longhorns team.

The Higginbotham College Baseball Showdown is essentially a Big 12-SEC challenge for baseball.

Earlier today, No. 10 Vanderbilt got rocked by TCU. Brayden Taylor hit a shot deep into the right field bleachers to put TCU up 7-3 in the sixth inning after the Commodores took a 3-2 lead in the top half of the inning.

It was church after that as the Horned Frog pitching staff dominated the rest of the way. Jonathan Vastine hit a 405-foot shot to center in the ninth to send the Commodores out on a good note, but this one was never in question.

Earlier in the afternoon, Missouri took on Oklahoma State.

The Tigers pitching staff threw up goose eggs with the exception of a single inning. However, that one inning was all the Cowboys needed.

Roc Riggio, the Swag of Stillwater, the Prancing Pony himself, ripped a two-out, two-run single to put Oklahoma State up 4-0 to essentially put the game away. Freshman designated hitter Carseon Benge singled on the game's next pitch to tack on an insurance run.

Missouri responded with three runs over the next two innings, but the Cowboys pitching staff no-hit the Tigers the rest of the way.

We'll have our live pregame video up in just a minute.

FIRST INNING

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The Razorbacks got a hit to lead off the game, but that was it as Texas pitcher Lucas Jordan immediately set the first inning jitters aside and sat the rest of the Arkansas hitters down without so much as a sniff at the ball. Jordan likes to pitch that outside corner, so if the Hogs can adjust, there are hits to be had.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

FIRST INNING

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Hagan Smith came out rocking. Texas had nothing for him as he rolled through the line-up.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

SECOND INNING

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Jared Wegner got things off to a promising start with a walks. Then, a hard grounder to short by Jace Bohrofen managed to go just wide enough for Longhorns shortstop Mitchel Daly to knock it down, but not be able to get the double play. The Razorbacks have two on with one out now.

Kendall Diggs strikes out on a nasty pitch and it comes down to catcher Hudson Polk to put the Razorbacks on the board with two outs. Polk battles back from an 0-2 count, but goes down swinging.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Arkansas designated hitter Kendal Diggs swings at a pitch against Texas pitcher Lucas Gordon in the season opener at Globe Life Field. (Addison Faith / AH Media)

SECOND INNING

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Garrett Guillemette hits a hard liner down the third base line that hits the Hogs' Caleb Cali square in the glove, but he drops it on the exchange. Despite what looked like a clear error, the official scorer has ruled it a base hit, so the Longhorns have a runner at first with no outs.

However, the Hogs get out of it as Jack O'Dowd grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to keep momentum on the Razorbacks' side.

Smith then goes 0-2 to Daly with some nasty stuff and then follows it with a pitch in the lower part of the zone. Daly gives it a nice ride on a solid golf shot, but it's reeled in with plenty of room for for the easy fly ball out.

It has been announced that the hit that led off the inning has now been changed to an error on Cali.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Someone appears to have a much larger fan base

(Texas side)

(Arkansas side)

THIRD INNING

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John Bolton with a hard line single up the middle and the Razorbacks are cooking again in the third. It's only a matter of time before Arkansas strings together enough hits to break this scoreless tie.

Tavian Josenberger with a long, hard line drive to the gap in right-center. It looks like it's going to possibly be a triple, but somehow the Longhorns' Dylan Campbell gets on his horse and snowcones it over his head at a dead sprint to get the out.

That set up a double play and what should have been a possible two-run inning ends up in a big old donut.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

THIRD INNING

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Smith continues to mystify this Texas offense. The Horns popped up and then Smith closed the inning with some junk low in the zone that may have felt the breeze when Andre Duplantier took a wild hack at it.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

FOURTH INNING

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Slavens battles, but eventually strikes out. Arkansas quickly has two down and in desperate need of putting runs on the board. Wegner hits one solid down the first base line, but the glove held on the hand of Jared Thomas and the Hogs go down again.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

FOURTH INNING

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Smith continues to put in work. He gets the first Texas hitter, then takes Porter Brown to swing and miss on a full count. He then works Guillemente for three straight strikes, including a wicked pitch on the edge of the zone that set the Longhorns down looking and got this large Razorback crowd pumped.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

FIFTH INNING

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The lefthander Gordon continues to give Arkansas hitters fits. Bohrofen quickly struck out to lead off the inning and Diggs flew out to shallow left field. Polk is now 0-2 with two outs. This may not be the inning for this stalemate to fall in the Hogs' favor. Polk flies out deep to right and the Hogs have been no-hit since the opening pitch of the game.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

FIFTH INNING

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Hagan Smith has still only given up two hits, but he's allowed two runners on this inning as his control is just barely off. Cody Adcock and Zack Morris warm up in the bullpen.

Daly with a perfectly placed bunt up the third baseline moves the runners over. Smith is able to throw him out at first to at least secure an out. This is the first time any runners have been in scoring position.

Smith manages to go up 1-2 on Thomas and strikes him out swinging low and away for the second out. That's now seven strikeouts on 64 pitches for Smith. Smith burns one up high to take Jalin Flores 1-2 with runners on second and third and the Arkansas crowd is on its feet.

An Arkansas fan displays his Razorback flag in the midst of Texas and TCU fans in Arlington at Globe Life Field during a game between Texas and Arkansas. (Addison Faith – AH Media)

Smith gets him swinging on a breaking ball in the dirt and this building is rocking. Razorback fans are now calling the Hogs and its as if there hasn't been a Texas crowd attending this game all night long. These are two very different fan bases when it comes to baseball.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

SIXTH INNING

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Texas decides to sit Gordon down for the night despite the fact he has no-hit the Razorbacks since giving up a hit to start the game. Lebarron Johnson has come in to pitch and the Razorbacks seem to be swinging the bat better.

Bolton made solid contact, though he grounded out to second and Josenberger hit a hard shot to left that went just foul. He has now extended a full count multiple times as he continues to foul pitches off.

A hard liner to right field puts Josenberger on and you can feel the energy building as Peyton Stovall comes to the plate. There's a passed ball and Josenberger moves to second.

Stovall walks and now the Razorbacks have runners at first and second with only one out. Cali gets jammed inside, hits a hard spinner to short that turns into a double play and Texas has escaped.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

SIXTH INNING

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Smith bows out of the game having given up one hit and two walks with eight strikeouts. Cody Adcock now comes into the game.

Adcock calmly pushes the designated hitter Peyton Powell to two strikes and then gets him to ground out for the first out of the inning. Adcock is working with heat now. He's a solid complement to Smith. He strikes out outfielder Eric Kennedy and there's now two down.'

Adcock works Campbell to 1-2 and tries to get him swinging at an outside pitch, but Campbell stands pat. However, the umpire just stepped out, looked over at the Razorback dugout and immediately punched Campbell out without a pitch being thrown. Not sure what just happened.

The official ruling is that Campbell struck out. However, there was no pitch thrown, so not sure how that could be. Either way, we go to the seventh with no score.

Arkansas 0, Texas 0

SEVENTH INNING

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Slavens pokes one through the right side and the Razorbacks have a runner on with no outs. It just keeps feeling like this 0-0 tie can't hold with the way the Razorbacks are making contact.

Wegner with a hard line drive to right and the Hog calls are filling the rooftop of Globe Life Field. The night is now over for Johnson as the Razorback hitters have run him out of the building.

Left hander Chris Stuart comes in with runners on first and second with no outs to see if he can keep Arkansas off the board.

Bohrofen holds off on a 3-2 pitch and the beer hats are out for another year as the Hogs have the bases drunk with no outs, bringing Diggs to the plate with a chance to put the season's first run on the board.

Diggs with a low line drive to third that takes a downward spin and shoots out of the glove of Flores and into right field. The single drives in two runs and Arkansas is up 2-0 with no outs and runners at first and second.

Polk tries to keep it going, but narrowly misses on a pitch high and inside that would have left the yard had he made contact. The entire Texas bullpen and perhaps a couple of members of the football team are loosening up over in right field.

Bolton with a hard shot that paints the foul like and just dies as it gets into right field and rolls toward the stands. Bohrofen scores, Diggs is into third and Bolton is standing with an easy double as the Razorbacks go up 3-0. Diggs could have scored, especially after the throw was mishandled, but Van Horn is playing it conservative tonight.

Josenberger walks and the bases are drunk again. This time it's Stovall who comes to the plate and it's getting hard to hear over the Hog calls once again.

Stovall works a full count and this building is ready to explode. Unfortuantely, he's unable to catch up to a pitch a little up and in, so the Razorbacks now have two outs with the bases still loaded.

Chris Stuart managed to slow the tide and keep things from getting out of hand.

Arkansas 3, Texas 0

SEVENTH INNING

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Adcock comes back out and works a 2-2 count on Brown. There were concerns he might be a little cold after that long inning, but so far he looks fine.

The fortune didn't last long though. Brown hit a long shot to right for a solo home run and Guillemette painted the left field line on the next pitch for a double and now it looks like Adcock is stalling while the coaches get someone up on the bullpen.

It's now 3-1 with a runner on second. That will be it for Adcock. That will bring in right-hander Koty Frank to try and close out the bottom of the 7th.

Stoval with a sliding stop at second and quick throw to save a run and Texas has a runner at third with one out now.

Daly grounds out to Frank and the Hogs now have a chance to get out of the inning with minimal damage. Frank throws a pitch in the dirt that goes shooting off to the fence, bringing home Guillemette and we've got a ball game now at 3-2.

Frank gets Thomas to ground out to short and the Razorbacks escape the inning with the lead.

Arkansas 3, Texas 2

EIGHTH INNING

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Slavens with a shot. Deep to right. It's got a chance. Off the wall and he's turning on the jets. Slavens into second with a lead-off double.

Duplantier in to pitch now. Bohrofen with a hard grounder to first moves Slavens over to third and Diggs comes to the plate with two outs.

Diggs gets hit in the underarm by a pitch and Arkansas has runners at the corners while in desperate need of insurance. DuPlantier is struggling to find his control all of the sudden as he goes 2-0 Polk on a pair of pitches that haven't been close.

Polk grounds out to second and it looks like this one is going to come down to the final pitch.

Arkansas 3, Texas 2

EIGHTH INNING

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Frank gets Flores to line out to third in rather short order, but has now given up hits to Powell on a grounder to left and Kennedy on a hard single to shallow right and we're finally hearing the Texas fans for the first time tonight. Runners on first and second with one out.

That brings Van Horn to the mound and we've got a pause in the action as Arkansas brings in Brady Tygart to see if he can shut this down before things get out of hand.

Tygart's first pitch of the season is a strike as we get back underway.

Tygart gets Campbell swinging and is 0-2 to Brown. He is a force to be reckoned with tonight. The movement on his fastball is insane. The pitch slides out of the zone at the last second and Texas gets away with a double steal.

Tygart gets Brown swinging, but I'm not sure he even saw what he swung at. The ball tailed inside and it wasn't close. If Tygart is going to be that nasty all season, Arkansas will be deadly in the innings because that was impressive.

NINTH INNING

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Josenberger starts the Hogs off with Arkansas in desperate need of creating some breathing room. He fouls a ball hard off his knee and takes a while to recover before finally stepping back into the box with a 2-2 count. He pops it up into the rafters before it finally comes down in shallow left where it's caught by Daly coming over from shortstop.

That will bring Stovall to the plate. He hits what should have been a routine grounder to Daly, but the throw slides out of his hands, narrowly missing Stovall's head as he has to duck at the last second for an E-6 that nearly went into the dugout.

A wild pitch goes to the backstop and Stovall is now at second with a pair of outs.

Cali strikes out swinging and we head to the bottom of the 9th with the game on the line.

NINTH INNING

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Tygart is just as filthy as he was last inning. He throws a pair of strikes and gets Guillemette to ground out. He then throws three strikes to O'Dowd and gets a soft grounder to second for a second out. The only ball he's thrown was questionable at best.

On 2-1 Tygart blows one right by Daly to bring us a pitch away. The pitch takes a dive and Daly swing and misses. The throw goes down to first and "Arkansas has put away this game and will start the season 1-0.

We will have a video wrap up here in a few.