FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 3 Arkansas baseball team (15-1, 0-0 SEC) completed their second straight weekend series sweep Sunday with a 5-3 win over the Portland Pilots (5-11, 0-0 WCC) at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas third baseman Brent Iredale drove a ball 400-plus feet for a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to highlight the Hogs' day on offense. Catcher Ryder Helfrick added a solo home run in the second inning and shortstop Wehiwa Aloy had an RBI knock in the fifth inning.
Diamond Hogs' starting pitcher Landon Beidelschies struck out six batters and walked none while allowing three earned runs on eight hits in five innings pitched. Freshman Carson Wiggins earned his third save of the year in relief.
The Razorbacks, who have won 11 straight games, were out-hit (10-7) by Portland on Sunday.
Portland starting pitcher Ryan Rembisz, who threw a perfect game in February, quickly realized he wouldn't have the same success. He allowed back-to-back singles to start his outing before Iredale drove a 409-foot three-run home run to the Hog Pen in left field to put the Pilots in a 3-0 hole after one inning.
Beidelschies gave up a leadoff single in the top of the second, and that runner came around to score on an RBI groundout that was hit 102 miles per hour right back at Beidelschies. The Razorbacks gained the run back right away in the bottom half of the second inning with a 382-foot leadoff home run from catcher Ryder Helfrick that made the lead 4-1.
The Pilots put two runners in scoring position with a pair of two out knocks in the top of the third, but Beidelschies stranded them after picking up his fourth strikeout of the game. One inning later in the top of the fourth, the transfer left-hander from Ohio State needed just nine pitches to go three up, three down.
Portland's second run of the game came via another RBI groundout in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Arkansas lead to 4-2. The Hogs' offense found some life in the bottom of the fifth with a two out single from Charles Davalan that chased Rembisz from the game.
Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy took advantage of the new arm with an RBI single through the right side that made the lead 5-2 for the Hogs after five innings of play.
Pilots' first baseman Zach Toglia took Beidelschies deep to left field to leadoff the top of the sixth, and the Hogs' starter was done after giving up a single in the next at bat. Junior left-hander Parker Coil entered in relief and left the bases loaded to avoid disaster.
The Hogs turned to right-hander Aiden Jimenez, an Oregon State transfer, for a 1-2-3 top of the seventh inning, which was capped off with a web gem of a catch by Justin Thomas Jr. in centerfield.
After the Arkansas lineup went down in order for the third time on the afternoon in the bottom of the seventh, righty Christian Foutch faced one more than the minimum in a scoreless top of the eighth.
The Razorbacks loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning, but had nothing to show for it, and they turned it over to freshman righty Carson Wiggins with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth inning. Wiggins faced the minimum to earn the save.
Up next, Arkansas will host UCA for a midweek matchup Tuesday at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. First pitch for that game is set for 6 p.m. CT and it will air on SEC Network+.
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