Wiggins' 'Good Stuff,' Webb's Hitting Completes Sweep for Razorbacks
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — This Arkansas starting rotation is starting to look pretty strong.
Sunday was Jaxon Wiggins' turn and he basically did the same thing to Kentucky the previous two starters did and the Razorbacks sweep the first SEC series of the year with a 3-1 win.
Wiggins threw six scoreless innings, striking out a career-high eight and his fastball touched 98 miles an hour. When he's got his control, it's tough to catch up to.
"His stuff was good," Hogs coach Dave Van Horn said later. "There were some really good pitches he didn’t get that put him behind some hitters, but six innings, four walks, a guy throwing that hard ... they’d have to square it up pretty good.
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Relievers Evan Taylor and Brady Tagart weren't throwing that fast, but the Hogs only allowed seven hits and didn't make any errors.
We played really well behind (Wiggins)," Van Horn said.
Arkansas is now 16-3 overall (3-0 SEC). Kentucky fell to 14-7 (0-3).
All three Arkansas starting pitchers turned in quality starts during the weekend series and are starting to get into a smooth rotation.
Connor Noland struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the opener before Hagen Smith punched out seven in six innings with three runs allowed in yesterday’s series-clinching win.
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Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images
Arkansas Communications
Arkansas Communications
Braydon Webb powered the Razorback offense for the second day in a row, getting his second homer in as many days in the bottom of the third. His two-run shot, which jumped off his bat at 111 miles per hour and traveled 442 feet, was his first of two base knocks on the day.
"He absolutely crushed that ball," Van Horn said. "It said it went off the barrell at 111 miles an hour and that's big time. That's full-grown man strength.
"He hit that slightly into a little bit of a wind and it pushed through it ... 440 feet or whatever it said."
Van Horn didn't seem particularly surprised.
"We've seen it," he said. "We've seen a lot. We've seen him go the other way. Love it the way he's contributing offensively."
And the homer came at a good time because it was shaping up as a pitchers' duel.
"You could tell it was going to be tough to score today," Van Horn said. "They pitched well and we pitched well,"
Kentucky got its only run in the seventh inning when Ryan Ritter homered against Taylor with one out. It was the first hit he's given up this season.
The Razorbacks return to action next weekend, traveling to Columbia, Mo., to face Missouri (12-5, 0-3 SEC).
Arkansas’ midweek contest against Omaha, which was scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo., at Kauffman Stadium, has been canceled due to forecasted inclement weather.
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"We looked to see if we could get a game here, but it's a little late to do that," Van Horn said. "Rest might be better for us than scrambling, then not knowing and all of a sudden say we're playing."
For all the world, though, it sounded like he's about had enough of dealing with cold weather and jumping between the conditions.
"High of 40, snow and rain, winds out of the north at 15-25?" he said making the announcement. "Here we go again with that weather thing. Wind chills in the upper 20's? I don't think that's good this time of the year."
They'll just get ready to play Missouri.
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