HawgBeat - Arkansas evens series, wins SEC West with 6-3 Game 2 win over Texas A&M
HawgBeat provides a game recap and box score from Arkansas' 6-3 win over Texas A&M on Friday.
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The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (43-11, 20-9 SEC) evened the series and secured the SEC West championship after a 6-3 victory over the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies (43-11, 18-11 SEC) on Friday at Blue Bell Park.
Arkansas was stellar at the plate against the Aggies, as the Hogs finished the game 11-for-36 overall (.306), 5-for-16 with runners on (.313) and 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position (.333).
Sophomore right-hander Gage Wood stepped up in his first SEC start with five innings of two earned-run baseball and five strikeouts. It wasn't always the prettiest outing, as he allowed seven hits, but Wood proved that he can be reliable as the Hogs close out the regular season.
Usual Sunday starter Mason Molina made his first bullpen appearance of the season and closed the game out across the final three frames with two strikeouts, zero hits and zero runs. As a pitching staff, the Razorbacks struck out seven and walked none.
Despite the game starting without it being on SEC Network or the ESPN app, Kendall Diggs flew out, Jared Sprague-Lott flew out, Peyton Stovall walked and Wehiwa Aloy capped things off with a strike out looking.
Gage Wood's outing started with a fly out but an error by Stovall gave the Aggies an early baserunner. Braden Montgomery took advantage with a two-run homer before Wood retired the final two batters via groundout.
Hudson White began the second with a single before Ben McLaughlin flew out. Ryder Helfrick and Peyton Holt came up clutch with back-to-back singles to score White and Jayson Jones struck out swinging for the second out of the frame. A&M brought in LHP Justin Lamkin out of the bullpen, and he struck out Diggs to end the frame.
Wood's second was pretty clean, as he struck out one and drew two groundouts around a one-out single.
After two quick outs by the Hogs, Wehiwa Aloy sent a solo shot to left center to tie the game at two. Hudson White struck out to end the inning.
Texas A&M started the bottom of the third with a leadoff double by Grahovac, and he was driven in on a single by LaViolette. Montgomery singled through the left side in the next at-bat, but Wood escaped mostly unscathed after two fly outs and a groundout.
McLaughlin nearly smashed a right field double, but it hooked foul and his AB resulted in a strikeout. Helfrick's at-bat went similarly with a strikeout and Holt ended the third with a groundout back to Lamkin on the mound.
In need of a dominant inning, Wood started the bottom of the fourth with a strikeout before giving up an infield single. He struck out the next two Aggies for a much-needed quick frame.
Down one run and in need of some offensive momentum, Jones struck out to start the fifth inning. Diggs reached base for the first time of the night on a full-count walk, but a strikeout by Sprague-Lott and a caught stealing ended any momentum.
Wood took the mound again in the fifth and he started things off with a strikeout. He drew a line drive into center field to the next batter, where Holt made a stellar diving play for the out. A single to right field broke up the perfect frame, but Wood forced another flyout to end the inning.
Stovall led the sixth inning off with a first-pitch single through the left side, but Aloy struck out swinging in the next AB. White worked a beautiful AB to give the Hogs two runners on base, and McLaughlin tied the game on a single to left center. A&M turned to RHP Josh Stewart out of the bullpen, who struck out pinch-hitter Nolan Souza and forced a grounder by Holt to end the threat.
LHP Parker Coil relieved Wood to start the sixth and he quickly retired his first two batters on just two pitches before forcing a popup to end the inning.
In the seventh, Jones and Diggs started the frame off with back-to-back strikeouts before Sprague-Lott ended the inning with a flyout to right field.
Coil started the seventh with a hit-by-pitch and DVH turned to the bullpen, as he brought Mason Molina in to shut things down. He accomplished his task with a strikeout, a popup and a groundout.
With the game tied at three and tensions high, Stovall and Aloy singled and doubled, respectively, to start the inning to give the Hogs runners on first and second with no outs. And just like that, Arkansas led 6-3 after White tanked a three-run bomb to left field. A&M turned to the bullpen and pinch-hitter Will Edmunson bunted to move McLaughlin over to second. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch before Holt grounded out to shortstop for the second out. The inning ended on a Jones strikeout.
Molina continued to look reformed in the bottom of the eight, as he worked a quick 1-2-3 frame thanks to a foulout sliding catch by Diggs in right field, a popup and a line drive caught by Stovall at second base.
Arkansas had its last chance to add insurance in the top of the ninth, and Diggs started things off with a groundout to shortstop. Sprague-Lott followed up with a strikeout looking in a full-count Aloy flied out to right field around a single by Stovall to push the game to the bottom of the ninth.
Needing only three outs to win the SEC West, Molina struck out the first Aggie batter in a full-count and finished an easy 1-2-3 frame with a groundout and flyout.
Up next, the Razorbacks will meet Texas A&M for Game 3 of their series in Bryan-College Station on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT and it will broadcast on SEC Network.
Box Score
Coming soon...
