Arkansas Gets Extra Innings Win over Illinois State, but at What Cost?
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Seven home runs. Eleven innings. A possible injured pitching star for the Razorbacks.
That was what it took for Arkansas to survive yet another mid-week score. This time it was Illinois State that nearly sent the Hogs to dinner without a win as their appetizer.
Here's how it all played out.
Welcome to today's coverage of the Arkansas Razorbacks and Illinois State Redbirds.
The Razorbacks are coming off a surprising 12-3 loss to Eastern Illinois.
This is an Illinois St. team that ruined opening day festivities last season at Baum Stadium. They have been traversing Arkansas between Arkansas State, UCA and Arkansas.
1st Inning
(TOP)
Zach Morris is on to pitch for the Arkansas Razorbacks today. He gets things started off with a strikeout.
Cheng follows with a double to right field that hits off the wall and the Red Birds have their first runner in scoring position.
Nichols lifts one to shallow centerfield. Josenberger is on his horse and he's able to get under it for the second out of the inning.
Morris is struggling with control, but looks to be in good shape to get out of this inning.
There's a line single to right that just barely gets high enough to get over the infield. Cheng turns around third at full speed and he will score and the Hogs already trail, 1-0 with two outs here in first.
Flores is getting a solid lead over at first. Morris is paying him a lot of attention, but also seems to be thinking about that pitch clock at the same time. The clock has shown to be an advantage to runners.
Morris started with a ball to Kubo, but came back with a pair of strong strikes. However, a pair of close pitches go for balls and the count is full. Kubo fouls a pair pitches off, and he holds on what was a very close pitch.
Kubo takes the walk to first. That will move Flores over to second and the pressure is on Morris as the pitches start to add up.
Pacella gets under an 0-1 pitch, Josenberger settles under it, and the Hogs escape the first only giving up one run.
Illinois St. 1, Arkansas 0
MID INNING BREAK
WHY ARKANSAS WILL DEFINITELY BE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
OF THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
1st Inning
(BOTTOM)
Josenberger to lead off and he gets all of this one. It's deep to right. And it's caught deep on the warning track and it's just a long out.
Thomas Harper is on the mound for Illinois St. Now up is Bohrofen and he is almost immediately plunked and he'll take his base the hard way.
That brings up Jared Wegner who is looking to bring a bit of the hitting prowess he showed in Arlington to Fayetteville. He has had some good hits and driven in runs, but he hasn't quite shown the power fans got to see in the College Baseball Showdown.
There's a pitch on the inner half of the plate and Wegner turns hard. This one is hit a mile and then some. It carries over left-center, over the fans, over the brush and into the outfield pond and Arkansas has already erased the deficit and taken a 2-1 lead.
We'll need to check the SEC RBI leaders, but that has to put Wegner either at or near the top.
Slavens on a 3-2 count watches one go by to draw the walk and the Razorbacks are in business once again.
That brings up Stovall to face Harper. One thing about the Redbird pitcher is that he definitely works fast. There won't be any concern about the clock with him.
And Stovall drills a textbook line drive to center that gets down for an easy single. Slavens moves over to second, which will bring Diggs to the plate.
Very quickly, we're to a 3-1 count. I'm not kidding when I say this kid is rocking and firing. He has something on his wrist that he's using to get the pitch call, so there's no back and forth. This looks like how Illinois State is going to deal with this new rule.
Harper is barely letting guys get into the box. Doesn't matter though because now Diggs can quick walk to first and the bases are loaded for Caleb Cali.
Cali and Harper are deep into a pitching battle here. We're now seven pitches into a full count as Cali keeps fouling pitch after pitch. Finally, he draws ball four and anothe run comes in.
It's now 3-1 and it looks like that will be it for Harper. We're a half hour into this first inning and already have a change as Jason Hibbard starts jogging his way toward the mound in relief.
Hibbard is an SEC tight end stacked on top the pitcher's mound. He's a good sized man. Parker Rowland comes up and takes a hack at HIbbard's first pitch. It's carrying foul, but the Redbirds are able to track it down and two are gone.
Bolton with a hard grounder to third and the throw is clean. The Razorbacks bat around, putting three on the board.
Arkansas 3, Illinois St. 1
2nd Inning
(TOP)
Connor Olson leads it off and he's got a solid line single to left for a lead-off hit.
Wegner's at a dead sprint. He leaps and it tips off his glove, sending him crashing to the warning track. He's able to get up and make the throw back to the infield, but not before Swarmer moves Olson over with a double to put a pair of Redbirds in scoring position.
Morris is really struggling to keep the ball out of the upper part of the hitting zone and these Illinois St. hitters are making him pay.
The No. 9 hitter, Blake Stegner settles in and collects a pair of strikes for a 1-2 count. Morris really needs this out to get this out to get things under control and get out of here with a bit of needed confidence.
That's not going to happen. Stegner hits a screamer to left that Wegner isn't going to be able to beat to the ground as he sprints in.
That's a single that drives in Olson and Dave Van Horn will head to the bullpen before Arkansas blows this lead that is now down to 3-2.
Looks like Van Horn is going to call on Koty Frank. That's surprising as he has been a reliable set-up guy in the weekend line-up.
Rasmussen lifts one to fairly deep center and this will bring in a run. Wait! No it won't! Josenberger catches it and throws a perfect rope to the plate that drops into the exact spot Parker Rowland needed it to make the tag and it's a spectacular double play.
Had it been just a couple of inches either way and that play doesn't happen. What a throw!
There's now an appeal. Arkansas is saying the runner at first left early, so the umpire is taking a look. He's ruled safe.
It doesn't matter. Cheng grounds out to the left side and Frank gets Arkansas out of a difficult jam.
Arkansas 3, Illinois St. 2
MID INNING BREAK
ARKANSAS IS ON THE VERGE OF LOSING GRACE GIVEN
FOR LOSSES EARLIER THIS SEASON
2nd Inning
(BOTTOM)
Josenberger starts off with five consecutive strikes in his at-bat. He fouled strike three off three times in a row. Now he watches three straight balls and it's a full count.
Josenberger fouls another one off and we're about to see pitch No. 10. And that one hits him. After all that, Josenberger will head to first as a hit batter.
Bohrofen comes up and lifts a lazy fly ball for an easy out in right field.
Now Josenberger is going to try to steal and they say the throw is there. Josenberger has been gunned down and now there's two away.
That brings up Wegner who hit one that still hasn't landed in the first. He's hits a grounder to third and that will do it. No runs for the Razorbacks after a promising start.
Arkansas 3, Illinois St. 2
3rd Inning
(TOP)
(Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)
Frank will come back out after a brilliant effort after coming into a difficult situation last inning.
He gets Nichols to hit a routine grounder that takes a little bit of an odd hop deep to short and this is going to be an error on Bolton.
Frank battles back with a nasty fastball against Flores and gets him swinging. The ball started out in a hittable area and just tailed in at the last moment.
Now Frank gets Kubo to ground to third and he will go to second to get the lead runner. They tried to turn the double play, but the throw to first was just a tad late.
Pacella floats one up to center and the Razorbacks get out of the inning as Frank has settled this Razorback team into a groove.
Arkansas 3, Illinois St. 2
MID INNING BREAK
IS IT OK FOR A YOUTH COACH TO STEAL SIGNS?
3rd Inning
(BOTTOM)
The Razorbacks are sat down so fast by the quick working pitching staff that if you blinked, you didn't see it, which is rare in baseball.
Slavens flied out to center. Stovall grounds out to first. Diggs flies out to center. Only 10 pitches in this inning.
Arkansas 3, Illinois St. 2
4th Inning
(TOP)
Frank will try to duplicate HIbbard's work on the mound. That's not going to happen though. Olson with an infield single to third and the Redbirds have a runner on.
Swarmer gets a 2-2 single to left that had just enough to get through and there's runners at first and second with no one out.
Stenger comes up and drops a perfect bunt, but Frank is able to field it cleanly and make the throw. That moves the runners to second and third though in exchange for the out and Arkansas is in trouble.
Rasmussen with a perfect single up the middle and that's going to bring in a pair of runs to give Illinois St. the lead. It was a hard line drive that went just high enough and far enough to clear the infield, but had a top spin on it that sent it crashing down to an abrupt stop in shallow center.
Josenberger sprinted in as fast as he could, but it was just too much ground to cover to warrant a throw and the Razorbacks trail again, this time 4-3.
Rasmussen takes off for second and he's going to be in with a stolen base, taking away the double play option.
That brings up Cheng and he lifts one deep to right. Bohrofen squeezes it for the out, but there is no chance to keep Rasmussen from advancing to third.
There is currently a stoppage in play as the umpires review whether Nichols was hit on the foot by a pitch. The replay being shown here is making it hard to tell. Most likely it's going to stand as called, which was a ball.
And Frank gets him swinging on a 1-2 pitch out and in the dirt and Arkansas heads to the bottom of the fourth with work needing to be done.
Illinois St. 4, Arkansas 3
MID INNING BREAK
IS KJ JEFFERSON THE BEST QUARTERBACK LEFT STANDING IN THE SEC?
4th Inning
(BOTTOM)
The Razorbacks really need a big inning, but it's not going to start off like it's going to happen. Cali sends Stenger running hard, but he's able to get a glove on it for the first out in center.
That brings up Rowland and he's got a hard single to left as he stands up with no stress at first.
Now Bolton gets a hold of one. It's carrying deep to the gap in center. What a play by Stenger. He was in a dead sprint and was able to catch it will running face first toward the curve of the wall in right.
So that will be two outs.
Josenberger swings at a 3-1 pitch and that will send Stenger running for a third time. This one is a little easier than the first two and he retires the Razorbacks on his own.
Illinois St. 4, Arkansas 3
5th Inning
(TOP)
Flores with a grounder to Bolton. He scoops it up and Slavens does a good job of scooping it up at first for the initial out of the inning.
Kubo, who isn't much taller than the catcher in a squat, gets a good lift to center and two are down.
But, once again, Arkansas isn't able to go three up and three down. Pasilla hits a rocket to right field that hits the top of the Hunt Family building while still seemingly on its way up.
The Razorbacks are now in trouble as the Redbirds extend their lead, 5-3.
Frank gets Olson to strike out on three straight pitches.
We're halfway through and there's a long road ahead for these Razorbacks.
Illinois St. 5, Arkansas 3
5th Inning
(BOTTOM)
Bohoren strikes out to start the inning.
Wegner is early on the swing and pulls off the speed. That's a slow roller up the middle for a base hit to give the Hogs a bit of hope.
Slavens hits a grounder to second that is flipped to second for the out, but manages to avoid the double play.
Van Horn is going to challenge this because he thinks the shortstop lifted his foot off the bag. It doesn't look there's anything to justify overturning the out though.
The call is confirmed and Wegner is out.
Slavens is up and he puts a charge into this one. It's carrying high and deep to left. And there's just enough room to keep it in the park for a long out.
Illinois St. 5, Arkansas 3
6th Inning
(TOP)
Now Cody Adcock will come in for Frank.
Swarmer leads off with a single to center. Josenberger might could have gotten it with a risky dive, but if he had missed, it would have been worse. The bottom three of the line-up are 7-of-8 against Razorback pitchers today.
Stenger bunts Swarmer over to second. Once again the Redbirds put a runner in scoring position while eliminating the possibility of a double play.
Adcock falls behind 3-1 to Rasmussen, but battles back and gets an out the old fashioned way by getting Rasmussen to swing and miss two straight times for the second out of the inning.
That brings up Cheng, who has been a thorn in the Razorbacks' side today. However, not this time. He hits a grounder to Bolton at short and the Hogs escape without falling further behind.
Illinois St. 5, Arkansas 3
MID INNING BREAK
TENNESSEE WAS ABLE TO MAKE MITCHELL TWINS PART OF A VANISHING ACT
6th Inning
(BOTTOM)
Arkansas has really struggled since Hibbard came into the game late in the first. The Razorbacks would really benefit from driving him out of the game.
And that will help in that quest. Diggs with a powerful shot to right. It hits off the Burger King sign on the wall and shoots back into the outfield. Diggs is on with a double and Arkansas is in business.
Now Cali gets one high and deep. It's carrying, but it's going to be a long out at the wall. Unfortunately, because it went to left field, Diggs will hold at second.
That will bring up Rowland. He's 1-for-2 today.
Make that 2-for-3. He slices one to opposite field a few feet inside the line in left field. It rolls into the outfield corner and Diggs is going to score to make this a one-run game.
Rowland is standing on second with a double.
Bolton with a routine single to center, but it's not going to be enough to bring Rowland in.
Josenberger comes up and he hits a bullet to first. What a crazy diving catch at first. There's a bullet to second for the out, but that will be it. Rowland scores and we're tied, 5-5, with Josenberger safe at first.
Josenberger steals second. That brings up Bohrofen with two outs.
He patiently takes a pair of balls to make this a full count. He watches another one and that one was crazy close. How he laid off that is mystifying. Illinois St. thought they were out of the inning with a strikeout.
He walks and that brings up Wegner.
Wegner hits a chopper to third and its an easy play for the unassisted out.
Arkansas isn't able to take the lead, but the Razorbacks do tie it up.
Illinois St. 5, Arkansas 5
7th Inning
(TOP)
Adcock back out for the Hogs and he throws a 2-2 change-up that gets Nichols swinging for the first out of the inning.
Flores is swinging on a 3-1 pitch and he smokes it down to Cali at third. He comes up throwing and it sails high. However, Slavens snow cones it and is able to use his height to keep his foot on the bag for the second out.
Adcock gets the first two pitches for a strike against Kubo. However, he just misses on the nex three. He then throws a breaking pitch on a full count that dives just barely out of the lower part of the zone. That's hard to do because Kubo has such a low strike zone. It was borderline, but Kubo is on first.
Pacella hits a high chopper back to Adcock who jogs toward first. He makes the underhanded pitch over to Slavens and Arkansas will go through the stretch knowing they have a chance to take the lead.
Illinois St. 5, Arkansas 5
MID-INNING BREAK
EVIDENCE SUGGESTS ODDS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED
THAT THIS IS CALIPARI'S LAST TRIP TO BUD WALTON AS KENTUCKY COACH
7th Inning
(BOTTOM)
Slavens starts it off and uses every inch of the field on this one as it goes to the wall, but it's just another long out for the Razorbacks. Eventually, one of these things has to get out of here. They can't all go to the warning track.
And there's Stovall with a long one to the gap in right-center. It's still carrying. And that one's gone. Finally, after burning holes in the dirt along that warning track, the Razorbacks manage to get one out.
Arkansas finally claws their way back for a 6-5 lead.
That will bring up Diggs who will look to build on the momentum. And there's a monster blast. That one is gone if it can stay fair.
It's just inside the foul pole and over the heads of two men hanging out on the upper deck concourse in right field. Back-to-back for the Razorbacks and this crowd is rocking in Baum. It's now 7-5 Razorbacks.
Cali to the plate now. He's still looking to get his first hit. He had one earlier that just barely missed as a home run, so maybe he can keep this swingfest going.
And keep it going he will. That one goes to right-center where it exits way up the right side of the outfield scoreboard. Three Razorbacks. Three home runs. Someone's going to remember the day they were in Baum to see this one.
All of the sudden it's 8-5 and now Rowland will come up with a chance to make it four home runs in a row. You almost have to think he's feeling a little pressure.
He won't get a chance right now though. Illinois St. has seen enough and will bring in a new pitcher.
Elijah Dale comes in for the Redbirds and immediately strikes out Rowland on four pitches. He then sits Bolton down on four more pitches and it's like dad just came home early from a business trip. The party has been abruptly shut down.
But not before Arkansas can do some serious damage.
Arkansas 8, Illinois St. 5
8th Inning
(TOP)
Well, well, well. Van Horn is not interested in offering a chance to Illinois St. He brings out Brady Tygart to try to put this one away.
Olson comes up and right away Tygart gets him to pop up to short for a quick out.
That brings up Swarmer and Tygart tags him. That will put a runner on, which has been a dangerous thing to do today with the way the bottom of this line-up has been hitting and putting runs on the board.
That brings up Stenger who has been trouble both in the outfield and at the plate. And he's supervillain trouble. He's sent this one deep to right-center and balls that couldn't get past the invisible wall at the warning track are suddenly going the distance.
That's a 2-run shot and it's now 8-7. Tygart battles back to get Rasmussen and Lawrence to end the inning. Van Horn has to hope his pitchers don't have to see the bottom of this line-up again.
Arkansas 8, Illinois St. 7
MID-INNING BREAK
KENTUCKY ACTIONS IN JANUARY ENCOURAGES HOG FANS
TO COME HARD WITH CREATIVE SIGNS SATURDAY
8th Inning
(BOTTOM)
Josenberger gets things started on a positive note as he rips a single to right on the first pitch he sees.
Bohrofen hits a routine fly to left for an out and Josenberger is unable to advance to second.
Van Horn sends Josenberger on a steal to eliminate the chance of a double play and he's able to get in safely.
Wegner gets a 2-0 fastball and he blisters it to right and it gets down. Josenberger rounds third and doesn't slow down. He's in for a needed insurance run and Wegner now has 15 RBI in eight games.
Slavens hits a lazy fly to center and Wegner will have to hold with two outs.
Van Horn loves taking advantage of this pitch clock. He sends Wegner on a steal to once again eliminate the chance of a force play.
Stovall flies out to Stegner in center and now it's up to Tygart to keep this hard hitting Redbirds team to less than two runs.
Arkansas 9, Illinois St. 7
9th Inning
(TOP)
Tygart comes back out looking to make this one quick with a three-up, three down inning. He doesn't want to extend this inning. Illinois St. is just too dangerous in the bottom of the line-up to push this one out too far.
Well, apparently they're dangerous in the middle of the line-up also. Nichols takes the second pitch he sees deep to left. Wegner looks up and watches at it clears the fence and bounces back over his head.
This is not what Van Horn or Tygart wanted to have happen.
Flores grounds out to Bolton at short and there's one away. Two outs to get the win.
Kubo fouls off a full count pitch and then watches ball four and the tying run is aboard.
Pacella with a grounder and the throw is way high. He's going to run all the way to third on the wild throw and the tying run is on the board. It's 9-9 and Arkansas is just looking to avoid giving up the winning run to get a chance to win this one before something can go wrong.
Tygart gets Olson out on three straight pitches with him swinging at a filthy third strike.
Uh, oh. This isn't good. Tygart is standing just off the mound shaking his arm. He threw a curve ball to Swarmer. It looked like he was flexing his arm on the strikeout pitch just before it, but this is way more obvious.
Something doesn't look right. Hopefully, he hasn't injured himself as this Razorback pitching staff that was known for its depth when the season started can't afford another injury after losing ace Jaxon Wiggins.
The trainers are shutting Tygart down and Dylan Carter will come in to try and make sure the Razorbacks aren't at risk of losing this in the bottom of the ninth.
Both teams have nine runs and 12 hits as we head to the end of regulation. The only reason this game isn't over is the two errors by the Razorbacks.
Arkansas 9, Illinois St. 9
9th Inning
(BOTTOM)
Diggs, who homered in his last at-bat will get a chance to bring this one to an end. It's not to be though. He hits a grounder to second and the Hogs have two outs left to make that happen.
That will bring up Cali who also hit a home run last inning.
There's a pitch called for a strike on 2-0 that has the Arkansas fans livid. It was definitely low. That was confirmed by replay. The strike comes back to haunt the Razorbacks as Cali goes down looking at strike three.
Now it's all up to Rowland.
Rowland is out on four pitches and we're headed to bonus baseball.
Arkansas 9, Illinois St. 9
10th Inning
(TOP)
Carter is back on the mound looking to do something no Razorback pitcher has been able to do a single time today – set the Redbirds down in order.
Although, right now, he's just trying to avoid giving up a run, which has been a rare feat also.
The dangerous bottom of the line-up is coming to the plate.
Stenger, who dropped a home run in his last at-bat comes to the plate. Four pitches and he can grab a seat. That's the first time he has looked out of sorts all game.
Rassmussen and Lawrence ground out to Bolton and we're headed to the bottom of the inning where the Razorbacks will again have the chance to bring this one to a quick end.
Arkansas 9, Illinois St. 9
10th Inning
(BOTTOM)
Bolton strikes out on the first three pitches he sees and that is now how Arkansas wanted to start this one off.
Josenberger pops one up into the stands. No. It stays in and Lawrence makes the catch agains the third base side wall and two are gone.
Bohrofen hits a routine grounder to second and that will be it. Wait. JT Sokolove who recently came in after pinch running pulled his glove up at second and just stopped the ball instead of scooping it. Bohrofen is safe at first and there's a chance for the Hogs.
Wegner comes up and there is no interest in throwing him anything he can hit. Five pitches go by and he's on first with a walk that puts Bohrofen in scoring position for Slavens.
Slavens pounds one up the middle, but Sokolove makes a great play this time and flips it to the shortstop and we're headed to the 11th inning still tied, 9-9.
Arkansas 9, Illinois St. 9
11th Inning
(TOP)
Nichols will lead it off and Carter gets him to ground to Slaves for the unassisted out at first.
Carter goes 0-2 to Flores, but he lifts a soft floater into center on a breaking ball that gets down for a single.
The Razorbacks will try to turn two as Sokolove comes to the plate.
Sokolove hits one a mile high that comes down with plenty or room to spare for Josenberger in center. Two away.
Pacella tries to turn on one, but it gets in on his hands and rolls harmlessly down to Slavens for another unassisted out.
Arkansas 9, Illinois St. 9
11th Inning
(BOTTOM)
Stovall will lead it off for the Razorbacks as they try to figure out a way to get out of this so they can go grab some postgame supper.
Dale has been a Hog killer since he came in, but Stovall turns hard and hits a laser down the right field line that two-hops the field for a double. Arkansas has a runner in scoring position.
The Redbirds are playing in as if they expect Diggs to bunt.
Diggs swings and lifts one deep to center. For some reason, after catching ball after ball on the warner track, the Illinois St. coaching staff pulls Stegner up and the ball goes to an area where Stegner has easily made plays all game.
He sprints and almost makes another ridiculous catch over his head, but it glances off his glove and Stovall scores to pull out the win 10-9.