FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 3 Arkansas baseball team (14-1, 0-0 SEC) clinched the series against the Portland Pilots (5-10, 0-0 WCC) with a 10-0 victory Saturday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Razorbacks' right fielder Kendall Diggs walked it off with a two run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the third-ranked Hogs' fourth run rule win in a row.
Arkansas starting pitcher Zach Root tossed six nearly perfect innings with just three hits allowed, one walk and 10 strikeouts. The transfer from East Carolina didn't allow a hit through the first four innings.
The Diamond Hogs logged 10 hits on the afternoon and five of those came with runners on base and seven came with two outs. Arkansas batted in eight of its 10 runs with two outs. Portland had just four hits, one of which came with runners on.
Root racked up two punchouts and faced the minimum on just 23 pitches, while Portland starting pitcher Kaden Segel, a senior right-hander, faced just one more than the minimum across two scoreless innings to start the game. A leadoff single in the bottom of the first from left fielder Charles Davalan produced the game's only baserunner by that point.
Portland's first baserunner came via a two-out walk from Root in the top of the third inning, but the Hogs' lefty bounced back with his third strikeout of the frame to strand the runner. The Razorbacks finally got to Segel in the form of a two-run double to left center from Wehiwa Aloy in the bottom of the third inning.
After another 1-2-3 inning from Root in the top of the fourth, the Razorbacks made it a 3-0 lead on a two out RBI single to center from second baseman Nolan Souza. Hogs' centerfielder Justin Thomas Jr. and Wehiwa Aloy both drove two-run home runs to the Hog Pen in left field before the bottom of the fourth inning came to a close with the Razorbacks ahead 7-0.
Root lost his no-hitter bid with a leadoff single to third base in the top of the fifth, but he casually responded with three straight strikeouts to make up for it. The Pilots stuck with Segel, who bounced back with a scoreless bottom of the fifth inning after his five-run fourth inning.
Portland put together a pair of two-out knocks in the bottom of the sixth, but Root locked in for a third out to keep the Pilots scoreless. Davalan drove his third home run of the season — a solo shot — 388 feet to right field to give Arkansas an 8-0 lead in the bottom half of the sixth.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Colin Fisher relieved Root to start the top of the seventh, a frame in which Fisher stranded a two-out baserunner. Diggs walked it off in the bottom half of the seventh with a two out, two run home run off the scoreboard in right center field.
Up next, Arkansas will face Portland in Game 3 of the series on Sunday. First pitch for that game is set for noon CT and it will air on SEC Network+.
Box Score
Razorbacks' right fielder Kendall Diggs walked it off with a two run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the third-ranked Hogs' fourth run rule win in a row.
Arkansas starting pitcher Zach Root tossed six nearly perfect innings with just three hits allowed, one walk and 10 strikeouts. The transfer from East Carolina didn't allow a hit through the first four innings.
The Diamond Hogs logged 10 hits on the afternoon and five of those came with runners on base and seven came with two outs. Arkansas batted in eight of its 10 runs with two outs. Portland had just four hits, one of which came with runners on.
Root racked up two punchouts and faced the minimum on just 23 pitches, while Portland starting pitcher Kaden Segel, a senior right-hander, faced just one more than the minimum across two scoreless innings to start the game. A leadoff single in the bottom of the first from left fielder Charles Davalan produced the game's only baserunner by that point.
Portland's first baserunner came via a two-out walk from Root in the top of the third inning, but the Hogs' lefty bounced back with his third strikeout of the frame to strand the runner. The Razorbacks finally got to Segel in the form of a two-run double to left center from Wehiwa Aloy in the bottom of the third inning.
After another 1-2-3 inning from Root in the top of the fourth, the Razorbacks made it a 3-0 lead on a two out RBI single to center from second baseman Nolan Souza. Hogs' centerfielder Justin Thomas Jr. and Wehiwa Aloy both drove two-run home runs to the Hog Pen in left field before the bottom of the fourth inning came to a close with the Razorbacks ahead 7-0.
Root lost his no-hitter bid with a leadoff single to third base in the top of the fifth, but he casually responded with three straight strikeouts to make up for it. The Pilots stuck with Segel, who bounced back with a scoreless bottom of the fifth inning after his five-run fourth inning.
Portland put together a pair of two-out knocks in the bottom of the sixth, but Root locked in for a third out to keep the Pilots scoreless. Davalan drove his third home run of the season — a solo shot — 388 feet to right field to give Arkansas an 8-0 lead in the bottom half of the sixth.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Colin Fisher relieved Root to start the top of the seventh, a frame in which Fisher stranded a two-out baserunner. Diggs walked it off in the bottom half of the seventh with a two out, two run home run off the scoreboard in right center field.
Up next, Arkansas will face Portland in Game 3 of the series on Sunday. First pitch for that game is set for noon CT and it will air on SEC Network+.
Box Score
