Head coach Dave Van Horn and the No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0) won Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader in seven innings against Washington State, 14-2, at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
The Diamond Hogs won Game 1 of the DH, 3-2, via walkoff in the 10th inning earlier Friday. Van Horn switched the lineup around in the second game, as the Hogs started Kuhio Aloy at designated hitter in place of Logan Maxwell, Michael Anderson at first base in place of Rocco Peppi and Cam Kozeal at second base in place of Nolan Souza. Peppi still started in Game 2, but played in right field instead.
Starting the game on the mound for the Razorbacks was left-hander Zach Root, who tossed 5.0 innings with eight strikeouts, two hits, one walk and one earned run.
Unlike Game 1, Arkansas got the scoring started early and went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first following a Wehiwa Aloy hit-by-pitch, Peppi double and Brent Iredale RBI groundout. Kuhio Aloy added a double of his own, but a Ryder Helfrick strikeout ended the early hot start.
Washington State finally got on the board in the fourth, when Root put the first two Cougars on via single and hit-by-pitch. A fielder's choice moved the lead runner over to third, where he eventually scored from following another fielder's choice RBI groundout. Root escaped the frame with a fly out.
They say good teams score when scored upon, and Arkansas answered the call in the latter half of the fourth in a big way. Anderson started the frame with a ground out to third base, but Kozeal picked him up with a double to right center. After a Justin Thomas Jr. first-pitch ground out, leadoff man Charles Davalan scored Kozeal from second thanks to a center field single.
The fun didn't stop there, as Wehiwa Aloy walked on four pitches to bring up Peppi, who walked on six pitches. With the bases loaded, Iredale delivered a two-RBI single to center to increase Arkansas' lead to 5-1. After another walk to Kuhio Aloy, Helfrick tripled down the right field line to clear the bases. An Anderson pop up ended the frame with the Razorbacks leading 8-1.
Arkansas went on to load the bases again in the bottom of the fifth, where Iredale secured an RBI walk to drive the score up to 9-1. The Razorbacks turned to right-handed reliever Aiden Jimenez in the sixth, and after a shaky start that included an allowed double and RBI single, the former Oregon State transfer ended the damage with a double play ground ball.
The game finally came to an end in the seventh, when Kuhio Aloy sent a three-RBI blast over the left field wall to mercy-rule the Cougars.
Van Horn's team finished the game 13-of-30 at the plate with six doubles, one triple, one home run and eight walks to five punchouts.
Below are stats and highlights from Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader:
STATS
