Live Blog: Arkansas vs. Murray State, Game 2
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark – Welcome once again to Baum-Walker Stadium where today the Razorbacks look to clinch a series win over Murray State.
The Racers caused the Hogs a lot of problems yesterday as they jumped out to a 1-0 on the second pitch of the game and senior Cade Vernon has the Razorbacks' number for all but one inning where he gave up three runs. Arkansas continues to struggle at the plate as the Hogs continue to rely on home runs that aren't coming while hitting weak ground balls and pop-ups on the first couple of pitches.
Multiple times Vernon was able to shut down a Razorbacks inning on eight pitches because of the lack of patience at the plate. The Good news for Arkansas is Aloy started getting his body under more control in his swing and finished 2-for-4 after struggling mightily in the first eight games of the season.
His confidence plus Brady Tygart's pitching will be the story of the game, as will be the power shown by Jayson Jones.
Weather
It's a warm, sunny day in Fayetteville. Temps will be in the mid-70s all game long. The one major factor will be a strong wind blowing in just under 20 mph out of the south. That could cause a few problems.
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Take time to look through our in-depth coverage of everything fans could ever want to know about this year's Razorbacks. You will not only catch up on the latest developments, but will have tons of opportunities to get to know a lot of the new players fans will see today.
Read Key Stories
• Entire Arkansas pitching staff combining for ridiculous numbers
• Hagen Smith follows historic outing with another impressive performance despite early blemish
• Strong pitching, limited timely hitting led by Jayson Jones lifts Razorbacks past Murray State
Starting line-up:
Top 1st:
Vogel will lead off again today. Yesterday he took the second pitch he saw yard to put a bit of pressure on Hagan Smith from the start. Tygart works the outside edge of the plate to get Vogel swinging to start where the Arkansas pitchers left off yesterday, with a strikeout.
A lot more energy out of the crowd already today. Outside of the games down in Arlington, this is the most vocal we've seen an Arkansas crowd this year. Tygart drops a fastball in the lower part of the zone and all Mercer can do is stare at it and begin walking back to the dugout. Nine pitches, two strikeouts for Tygart.
For those not watching the Razorbacks basketball game, the Hogs are up 74-72 with just over 11 minutes left. Despite the high score, Arkansas has played tough defense today, which is probably why some of. you are here keeping up with baseball.
Tygart drops the hammer on a full count pitch to Hogart to set him down swinging. Three hitters. Three strikeouts. This is becoming a daily competition between these pitchers to see who can rack up the most K's in a single game and Tygart is up for the Day 1 staff's challenge.
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0
Bottom 1st:
Van Horn continues to shake up this line-up looking for hitting. Nearly half the hitters weren't in the game yesterday. Edmunson will lead-off and he watches the first four pitches go by for a walk. That is a good sign as it goes against the book on the Razorbacks. Anything to get this top third of the line-up which really struggled yesterday.
There goes that good fortune though. Edmunson will be caught trying to steal second for the first time this year on a perfect throw by Krizen. Diggs follows with a full count walk, which really puts the spotlight on Edmunson getting thrown out. A much more patient approach at the plate today and there's already a visit to the mound. This is an approach Arkansas really needed.
Aloy will be the true test through. He watched his first pitch yesterday and then swung at nine straight. And he's swinging out the gate here for a strike. He's swinging at the second pitch and that's going deep to left. It's got a shot. And there is the first victim of this strong wind today. He got that ball way up in the air. It would have been long gone most days, but with the breeze kicking up around 17 mph it dies at the warning track for a long out.
McLaughlin his a slow bouncer to first for an easy out and after a promising start, the Hogs have returned to form at the plate. That'll do it for the first inning with neither pitcher giving up a run,.
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0
Top 2nd:
In an update from the basketball game, Arkansas is up 86-81 with just under seven minutes left at Rupp Arena.
Tygart continues to be the stuff of nightmares for these Murray State hitters. He's dropping almost 20 mph between his fast ball and off speed stuff and he's able to put it wherever he wants. He strikes Hawthorne swinging on three straight pitches for his fourth consecutive strikeout.
Garner, by far the Racers' best hitter, becomes the first player to make contact on a Tygart pitch. It's a grounder to third and Sprague-Lott makes the throw to first.
Tygart strikes out Howell swinging. His fifth K of the game comes on three pitches and he is into the third inning on 26 pitches.
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0
Bottom 2nd:
Sprague-Lott chases a breaking pitch a couple of inches off the plate and that will be an easy grounder to short for the first out of the inning. Lovich goes down swinging after seeing four pitches and that will be the first strikeout of the day for Valero.
Jones pokes a ball low and away to second base and that will do it for the inning as we're scoreless through two.
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0
Top 3rd:
To update the basketball game, Arkansas is up 91-90 with just under five minutes, although there are a lot of Hogs in foul trouble.
While that game is tense, what's not tense is Tygart. He gets Tauken out swinging at a high fast ball and then gets Krizen looking and there are two outs on six consecutive strikes. for those keeping up at home, that's seven strikeouts.
Bland flies out to center as the wind blowing in from the outfield holds it up for an easy out. Another easy inning for Tygart.
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0
Bottom 3rd:
Souza shows a bit of patience and starts the inning with a walk. Souza takes off for second and he's got his first stolen base. He got away with a really good jump.
If you're looking for an update for the basketball game, I'd advise against it. The turnovers have started to pour in and Kentucky has opened up a strong lead as they cross then century line with just over two minutes left.
Helfrick pops up to first, but the good news is he battled hard at the plate fouling off several pitches to drive up the pitch count before getting the first out of the inning.
Edmunson drifts a single into center. That will move Souza to third. He had to hold for a minute because it looked like it would be a ball that could be caught, but the outfielder chose to not charge and take it off the hop instead.
Valero gets Diggs out on a belt high fastball. He was swinging for the fences on that one and just missed it to get a critical second out with Aloy coming up, a hitter Murray State knows is going to be swinging.
That's exactly what happens. He hits a grounder after seeing a couple of pitches and the Racers are able to make an easy play at second for the force to end the threat.
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0
Top 4th:
Tygart gets strikeout No. 8 in a unique fashion. Vogel is caught leaning into a pitch to intentionally get hit for an out to start the inning.
Mercer sends this one a mile into the sky and it's going to be trouble. Jones is able to keep tracking it forward as the wind blows it back and make the catch for the second out of the game.
Hogart is able to rip a lined single to left field. He really had to reach to get it and now both teams have a single hit. Tygart gets Hawthorne to ground back to the mound in two pitches and this inning is over. He will head to the fifth having thrown 51 pitches.
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0
Bottom 4th:
McLaughlin leads off with a walk, which the Razorbacks have done three times. Unfortunately, after a couple of batters though, that patience goes away and Arkansas returns to form. If the Hogs can just stay patient they can get runs on the board. This wind blowing in is going to keep a team that struggles to hit home runs from hitting home runs, so they've got to figure out how to get runs the old-fashioned way.
That will do it for Valero, Yesterday, once Arkansas got the starter out, things became much easier. We'll see if history repeats itself soon.
Sprague-Lott greets Pennington by dropping the perfect bunt and everyone is safe without a throw. A little small-ball from the Hogs. Now Lovich gets hit and the bases are loaded with no outs. He squared around to show bunt and took one off the wrist. He's lucky that didn't get him in the chin because it barely missed.
The next pitch misses the top of Jones' head by the smallest fraction of an inch. Jones draws a walk on a 3-1 pitch and the Hogs are finally on the board.
Souza rips a hard grounder right up the middle on a two-strike pitch to drive in a pair of runs to extend the lead to 3-0.
Helfrick follows with a grounder to short that results in a double-play, but it brings in a run. At this point Arkansas has enough runs to make this feel like a 15-0 lead against this pitching staff. That's the one mental edge the Hogs definitely have this season.
Edmunson strike out swinging, but not before Arkansas can ride a bunt single to a breakout inning.
Arkansas 4, Murray St. 0
Top 5th:
Garner, who leads the Racers with six home runs so far this season, really lays into a fastball up and away. He parks this one well into the stands in left field and that's saying a lot today with that wind blowing in.
Tygart responds with a three-pitch strikeout and the one that got Howell was a sweeping breaking ball that put him down on a knee as he swung. He's now in double digits with his strikeouts. He then sends Tauken to the bench on a fastball just under the numbers on the inside of the plate for No. 11.
Krizen gets his arms extended on a pitch and lines a single to left. Now Tygart walks Bland on four straight pitches and for the first time this season, he's in a bit of trouble.
Vogel comes to the plate as the potential tying run. Vogel hits a grounder to Aloy at short and the throw barely beats Vogel to first to end the threat.
Arkansas 4, Murray St. 1
Bottom 5th:
Diggs turns on a fastball up and in and this one isn't coming back no matter how hard the wind blows. Home run Arkansas. That immediately erases the Garner home run.
Aloy lifts one high to center and the wind has it. It's carrying back in. The outfielder is trying to run it down and it goes off his glove. That will be an error and Aloy is safe at second.
McLaughlin gets one up in the air also and the wind blows it back into no man's land behind second base. That will move Aloy to third.
Sprague-Lott rips a hard liner directly over second base and Bland is playing on the edge of the grass and he skies to snag that ball for the out. What a play. Lovich follows with a hard grounder down the first base line that gets just under the glove of the first baseman and that's gonna be a double. Aloy scores and it's 6-1.
Jones drives a ball in on his knuckles into centerfield and that will bring McLaughlin. If that's a wooden bat, that thing snaps like a twig and there might be a double play, but not in this case. That's going to be enough to draw a visit to the mound. That will do it for Pennington as he leaves trailing 7-1.
You could tell the Murray State coaching staff really didn't want to use another pitcher in this situation if they could avoid it.
Hudson Polk will now pinch hit for Souza as Van Horn tries to get some guys in he'd like to see work on their hitting. We saw this same approach against Grambling in the mid-week. Polk skies this one to center and the wind eats it up. It keeps carrying it in and Mercer is able to catch it on the run. He makes a great throw to the plate that looks like it would have gotten Lovich, but the catcher is unable to hang onto it and the Hogs pick up another run.
Originally it looked like Tygart might get one more inning, but considering the long layoff between innings and the cushion now on the scoreboard, that seems unlikely. If so, he finishes the day with what has been officially adjusted down to 10 strikeouts. It looks like they have taken away the strikeout for intentionally leaning into the pitch.
Helfrick walks after facing nine pitches and runners are now at first and second. Edmunson follows with a hard hit grounder through the hole in the left side and that will bring home Jones to ensure the Razorbacks return where they started, with a dangerous Diggs at the plate. It's now 9-1 and the Hogs are starting to flirt with run rule territory.
Diggs stays patient on a full count and the bases are loaded again. Out come the beer hats. That will be another pitching change as this game continues to drag on. Freshman Jacob Hustedde will now come on.
Aloy swings at a pitch in on his hands. That will be trouble as it dribbles to short. Vogel charges in and barehands a throw to first that just beats Aloy and the inning is over.
Arkansas 9, Murray St. 1
Top 6th:
Will McEntire comes in to replace Tygart and that can't make Murray State feel any better about its chances of a comeback. One pitch to Mercer and one out. McEntire gets him to easily pop up to right for the first out of the game.
He then gets Hogart on three pitches. Got him swinging at a fastball high on the outside part of the plate. Hawthorne then lines the second pitch he sees to right field and McEntire works an efficient six-pitch inning to speed up the pace.
Arkansas 9, Murray St. 1
Bottom 6th:
McLaughlin pops one up to left to start the inning with a quick out. Sprague-Lott walks, bringing the potential winning run to the plate. If Arkansas can get to 11, that will give Mcentire the chance to end it in the top of the seventh.
Lovich strikes out looking and there are now two away. That will bring up Jones who has long ball power and already has two RBI. He fights a pitch off that carries to right field, but the winds eat it up just in front of the warning track. A lot of power to do that on a pitch where he got jammed, but the inning is over.
Arkansas 9, Murray St. 1
Top 7th:
McEntire gets Garner to pop up to Aloy on a 2-0 pitch. It should have been an easy first out, but Aloy gets tricked by the wind and the ball drops right behind his glove. However, Sprague-Lott evens things back up by starting a double play on a grounder by Howell to third.
McEntire then closes the seventh by striking out Tauken on three straight pitches to face the minimum number of batters on 10 pitches.
Arkansas 9, Murray St. 1
Bottom 7th:
Double good news for Arkansas. Two runs will end this. Also, the freshman who no-hit the Hogs over 11/3, there is a new pitcher, so there's hope for those two runs.
So much for hope. Arkansas goes three up, three down. Flyout, ground out, pop-up on five pitches for Holt, Helfrick and Edmunson to make short work of the bottom of the seventh.
Arkansas 9, Murray St. 1
Top 8th:
Dossett comes on for McEntire and he looked especially impressive in his last appearance. We'll see how the Springdale native holds up her at home with fans from his home area looking on.
He freezes Stokely on a cutter, then gets bland to ground out on a total of three pitches. Then Vogel goes down on a 94 mph fastball in on the hands to end the inning in efficient fashion. That's now 14 K's for Arkansas pitchers.
Arkansas 9, Murray St. 1
Bottom 8th:
Diggs goes down swinging and Aloy takes no time to see and gauge the new pitcher, Pogue, this inning. He grounds out up the middle on the first pitch he sees for a quick second out.
McLaughlin gets a single up the middle to the pitcher on a bunt, then Pogue throws it down the right field line. That sends him to second. Then a ball to the outfield on a pick-off move sends him to third.
Sprague-Lott dribbles one into right field to bring in McLaughlin and this game is a run away from being over.
Lovich extends his arms as he turns on a ball that he drives to the gap in right-center. Sprague-Lott rounds second and he gets the light around third as there's not a lot of hustle from this Racers' outfield. He's headed home and there's no throw. That's it. Game over. Lovich walks it off with a double and the Hogs win the series.
Arkansas 11, Murray St. 1 [FINAL]
(Arkansas Communications)
Top 9th:
Not needed
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0
Bottom 9th:
Not Needed
Arkansas 0, Murray St. 0