OP:
Walked in the only run of the game?
Nm
RECAP:
The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (42-11, 19-9 SEC) lost their first game of the season with Hagen Smith starting on the mound in a 1-0 walkoff defeat to the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies (43-10, 18-10 SEC) on Thursday at Blue Bell Park.
Arkansas was horrific at the plate against the Aggies, as the Hogs finished the game 9-for-41 overall (.214), 2-for-19 with runners on (.105) and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Junior left-hander Hagen Smith broke the Arkansas program record for strikeouts with a 14-punchout performance against the Aggies in six scoreless frames. He now sits above former Razorback lefty Nick Schmidt with 349 career K's.
The Arkansas bullpen came up clutch once again with three combined hits spread out in the last 4.2 innings pitched. As a whole, the pitching staff struck out 20 batters with only three walks and one earned run.
To the praise of the crowd at Blue Bell Park, Arkansas leadoff man Peyton Holt started the game off with a strikeout looking. Peyton Stovall went good morning, good afternoon and good night for a three-pitch punchout and Jared Sprague-Lott capped the introductory inning off with another swinging K.
Junior left-hander Hagen Smith retired his first batter of the night via strikes on a 99 MPH fastball and the second Aggie swung and missed on a slider. Smith completed the three-strikeout frame on another slider.
Wehiwa Aloy put the first ball in play for the night, but it was a weak grounder back to the pitcher that resulted in an out. Ben McLaughlin followed that up with the Hogs' fourth strikeout of the game, but Ryder Helfrick and Hudson White broke up the hitless streak with back-to-back singles. Prager escaped the jam with another swinging strikeout.
Smith's strikeout streak ended with the first batter of the bottom of the second, but he bounced back for two looking punchouts to end the frame.
In a shocking development, Ty Wilmsmeyer led off the third with a single to right field. Holt backed him up with a swinging strikeout and Stovall failed to move the runner over after an infield popup. The inning ended via strikeout to Sprague-Lott.
As is customary, Smith threw three balls to the leadoff man but eventually popped him up for the first out. He struck out his next batter before A&M's nine-hole reached on an infield single. That runner stole second but reached third after a failed pickoff attempt reached right field. Smith ended the frame with a grounder to shortstop.
Aloy hit a lazy 0-2 fly ball to center field for the first out of the fourth before McLaughlin and Helfrick grounded out to end the inning.
For the third time of the night, Smith ran the count full to the first batter of the frame but struck him out anyways. He picked up his eighth strikeout of the game on the next batter via nasty slider to Braden Montgomery before retiring the final Aggie with a lineout to center field.
White started the fifth off with a strikeout before Jayson Jones singles through the left side. A hit and run prevented a double play as Jones reached second base on a Wilmsmeyer groundout, but the Razorbacks squandered another opportunity after Holt grounded out to third base.
Smith finally retired a leadoff batter on strikes without throwing three balls in the process to begin the fifth before setting down the next Aggie via strikes as well. However, the batter reached first base due to a wild pitch. Smith broke the career-strikeout program record for Arkansas on a slider looking for the second out of the frame before finishing things off via lineout.
Stovall smoked a low ball on the first pitch to center field for a leadoff runner in the sixth. Sprague-Lott walked in a full-count for Arkansas' first real threat of the game. An Aloy infield dribbler resulted in a double play and Stovall advanced to third, but it didn't matter as another groundout ended the inning.
The 12th strikeout of the game for Smith was on a nasty slider that resulted in an awkward swing. Number 13 came on a good fastball but the next Aggie pummeled the baseball to right for a double. Don't fret, though, as Smith stranded the runner with number 14.
Helfrick started the seventh off with a first-pitch popup and White gave one a ride to the warning track in left center for a flyout. Despite a competitive at-bat, Jones ended the inning with a strikeout swinging.
RHP Christian Foutch relieved Smith in the seventh and recorded his first out with a full-count fly ball to right field. He followed that up with a 90 MPH strikeout on a slider (!) before forcing a groundout to end the inning.
LHP Evan Aschenbeck took the mound for Prager in the either and immediately allowed a leadoff bunt to Wilmsmeyer. Holt flewout in the next at-bat and Stovall gave one a ride to deep center but it was caught for the out. Wilmsmeyer stole second base but it was all for not after a Sprague-Lott grounder.
Freshman RHP Gabe Gaeckle came on in the bottom of the eighth and retired his first batter on a flyout to right field. The rookie pitched like a veteran and struck out the next Aggie on three pitches. After getting the third batter down 0-2, Chestnut poked one just under Stovall's glove for a two-out single. He stole second base but a spectacular play by Aloy at short ended the inning.
Aloy failed to continue his momentum at the plate after flying out to center to leadoff the ninth. McLaughlin picked Aloy up with a seeing-eye single through the right side to give Arkansas a baserunner. Helfrick fouled out to first base and White flew out to left field to end the frame.
Gaeckle pumped gas to leadoff the bottom of the ninth on a strikeout. He retired the next batter with a grounder before picking up another K to send the game to extras.
Jones whiffed on a breaking ball for a leadoff strikeout, but Wilmsmeyer reached base again on an error by A&M's first baseman. Holt came up clutch with his first basehit of the game on a grounder over the first baseman, Wilmsmeyer advanced to third on the play. Sprague-Lott stranded both runners with a swinging strikeout.
The Texas A&M crowd erupted on a 300 foot popup to center field to leadoff the bottom of the 10th before Gaeckle recorded his second out on a grounder. The clean inning was broken up with a double to left center, and Gaeckle exited the game for LHP Stone Hewlett. A first-pitch grounder back to Hewlett ended the frame.
Aloy smashed the first pitch he saw straight to A&M's shortstop for the first out, but McLaughlin smacked a tailing double to left field to give Arkansas a breath of life. Helfrick struck out on three pitches and White smashed another ball to left field, but a great defensive catch ended the threat.
FHP Jake Faherty was next in line out of Arkansas' bullpen to start the 11th, and he struck out his first Aggie batter on a fastball. Faherty walked the Hogs' first batter of the game in the next at-bat and allowed a single through the right side to give the Aggies runners on first and second. LHP Parker Coil entered the game and struck out Montomgery for the second out of the frame. The Hogs intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases and Van Horn brought in Will McEntire to get Arkansas out of the jam.
McEntire walked his only batter to hand the Aggies a walkoff victory.
Up next, the Razorbacks will meet Texas A&M for Game 2 of their series in Bryan-College Station. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. CT and it will broadcast on SEC Network.
Walked in the only run of the game?
Nm
RECAP:
The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (42-11, 19-9 SEC) lost their first game of the season with Hagen Smith starting on the mound in a 1-0 walkoff defeat to the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies (43-10, 18-10 SEC) on Thursday at Blue Bell Park.
Arkansas was horrific at the plate against the Aggies, as the Hogs finished the game 9-for-41 overall (.214), 2-for-19 with runners on (.105) and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Junior left-hander Hagen Smith broke the Arkansas program record for strikeouts with a 14-punchout performance against the Aggies in six scoreless frames. He now sits above former Razorback lefty Nick Schmidt with 349 career K's.
The Arkansas bullpen came up clutch once again with three combined hits spread out in the last 4.2 innings pitched. As a whole, the pitching staff struck out 20 batters with only three walks and one earned run.
To the praise of the crowd at Blue Bell Park, Arkansas leadoff man Peyton Holt started the game off with a strikeout looking. Peyton Stovall went good morning, good afternoon and good night for a three-pitch punchout and Jared Sprague-Lott capped the introductory inning off with another swinging K.
Junior left-hander Hagen Smith retired his first batter of the night via strikes on a 99 MPH fastball and the second Aggie swung and missed on a slider. Smith completed the three-strikeout frame on another slider.
Wehiwa Aloy put the first ball in play for the night, but it was a weak grounder back to the pitcher that resulted in an out. Ben McLaughlin followed that up with the Hogs' fourth strikeout of the game, but Ryder Helfrick and Hudson White broke up the hitless streak with back-to-back singles. Prager escaped the jam with another swinging strikeout.
Smith's strikeout streak ended with the first batter of the bottom of the second, but he bounced back for two looking punchouts to end the frame.
In a shocking development, Ty Wilmsmeyer led off the third with a single to right field. Holt backed him up with a swinging strikeout and Stovall failed to move the runner over after an infield popup. The inning ended via strikeout to Sprague-Lott.
As is customary, Smith threw three balls to the leadoff man but eventually popped him up for the first out. He struck out his next batter before A&M's nine-hole reached on an infield single. That runner stole second but reached third after a failed pickoff attempt reached right field. Smith ended the frame with a grounder to shortstop.
Aloy hit a lazy 0-2 fly ball to center field for the first out of the fourth before McLaughlin and Helfrick grounded out to end the inning.
For the third time of the night, Smith ran the count full to the first batter of the frame but struck him out anyways. He picked up his eighth strikeout of the game on the next batter via nasty slider to Braden Montgomery before retiring the final Aggie with a lineout to center field.
White started the fifth off with a strikeout before Jayson Jones singles through the left side. A hit and run prevented a double play as Jones reached second base on a Wilmsmeyer groundout, but the Razorbacks squandered another opportunity after Holt grounded out to third base.
Smith finally retired a leadoff batter on strikes without throwing three balls in the process to begin the fifth before setting down the next Aggie via strikes as well. However, the batter reached first base due to a wild pitch. Smith broke the career-strikeout program record for Arkansas on a slider looking for the second out of the frame before finishing things off via lineout.
Stovall smoked a low ball on the first pitch to center field for a leadoff runner in the sixth. Sprague-Lott walked in a full-count for Arkansas' first real threat of the game. An Aloy infield dribbler resulted in a double play and Stovall advanced to third, but it didn't matter as another groundout ended the inning.
The 12th strikeout of the game for Smith was on a nasty slider that resulted in an awkward swing. Number 13 came on a good fastball but the next Aggie pummeled the baseball to right for a double. Don't fret, though, as Smith stranded the runner with number 14.
Helfrick started the seventh off with a first-pitch popup and White gave one a ride to the warning track in left center for a flyout. Despite a competitive at-bat, Jones ended the inning with a strikeout swinging.
RHP Christian Foutch relieved Smith in the seventh and recorded his first out with a full-count fly ball to right field. He followed that up with a 90 MPH strikeout on a slider (!) before forcing a groundout to end the inning.
LHP Evan Aschenbeck took the mound for Prager in the either and immediately allowed a leadoff bunt to Wilmsmeyer. Holt flewout in the next at-bat and Stovall gave one a ride to deep center but it was caught for the out. Wilmsmeyer stole second base but it was all for not after a Sprague-Lott grounder.
Freshman RHP Gabe Gaeckle came on in the bottom of the eighth and retired his first batter on a flyout to right field. The rookie pitched like a veteran and struck out the next Aggie on three pitches. After getting the third batter down 0-2, Chestnut poked one just under Stovall's glove for a two-out single. He stole second base but a spectacular play by Aloy at short ended the inning.
Aloy failed to continue his momentum at the plate after flying out to center to leadoff the ninth. McLaughlin picked Aloy up with a seeing-eye single through the right side to give Arkansas a baserunner. Helfrick fouled out to first base and White flew out to left field to end the frame.
Gaeckle pumped gas to leadoff the bottom of the ninth on a strikeout. He retired the next batter with a grounder before picking up another K to send the game to extras.
Jones whiffed on a breaking ball for a leadoff strikeout, but Wilmsmeyer reached base again on an error by A&M's first baseman. Holt came up clutch with his first basehit of the game on a grounder over the first baseman, Wilmsmeyer advanced to third on the play. Sprague-Lott stranded both runners with a swinging strikeout.
The Texas A&M crowd erupted on a 300 foot popup to center field to leadoff the bottom of the 10th before Gaeckle recorded his second out on a grounder. The clean inning was broken up with a double to left center, and Gaeckle exited the game for LHP Stone Hewlett. A first-pitch grounder back to Hewlett ended the frame.
Aloy smashed the first pitch he saw straight to A&M's shortstop for the first out, but McLaughlin smacked a tailing double to left field to give Arkansas a breath of life. Helfrick struck out on three pitches and White smashed another ball to left field, but a great defensive catch ended the threat.
FHP Jake Faherty was next in line out of Arkansas' bullpen to start the 11th, and he struck out his first Aggie batter on a fastball. Faherty walked the Hogs' first batter of the game in the next at-bat and allowed a single through the right side to give the Aggies runners on first and second. LHP Parker Coil entered the game and struck out Montomgery for the second out of the frame. The Hogs intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases and Van Horn brought in Will McEntire to get Arkansas out of the jam.
McEntire walked his only batter to hand the Aggies a walkoff victory.
Up next, the Razorbacks will meet Texas A&M for Game 2 of their series in Bryan-College Station. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. CT and it will broadcast on SEC Network.
