HawgBeat - Kansas State outlasts Arkansas 7-6, sends Hogs to elimination game
HawgBeat provides a game recap and box score from Arkansas' 7-6 loss to Kansas State on Saturday.
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The 5-seed Arkansas Razorbacks (44-15) dropped their second NCAA Tournament Regional matchup 7-6 to the Kansas State Wildcats (34-24) on Saturday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium to fall to the loser's bracket.
After pummeling the baseball in its regional-opening 17-9 win over SEMO on Friday, the Diamond Hogs came back down to Earth against the Wildcats. Despite totaling 13 hits, Arkansas finished 13-for-41 at the plate (.317), 6-for-22 with runners on (.273) and 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position (.222).
Hudson White, Jared Sprague-Lott, Wehiwa Aloy, Peyton Holt and Ty Wilmsmeyer all recorded two hits with Sprague-Lott and Holt delivering home runs against the Wildcats. Peyton Stovall reached base twice (hit, walk) and Ben McLaughlin just once (hit-by-pitch).
Lefty ace Hagen Smith started the game like he has many times, as he held the Kansas State offense at bay through the first four frames.The fifth inning was disastrous, however, as the Wildcats struck the southpaw with six earned runs. In potentially his final outing as a Razorback, Smith broke the single-season program strikeout record after retiring seven batters on strikes.
Head coach Dave Van Horn turned to right-hander Ben Bybee in relief, and the Kansas native proved vital in Arkansas saving its bullpen as he threw three innings of one-run ball with four punchouts and zero walks to close the game.
Top 1 (Arkansas) - Arkansas 0, Kansas State 0
To start a picture-perfect night at an electric Baum-Walker Stadium, Peyton Stovall pulled a grounder straight into a right-field shift for the first out of the game. Hudson White saw five pitches and made his way to first base for a walk. Jared Sprague-Lott took some Herculean hacks in his at-bat, which ultimately resulted in a looking strikeout. Ben McLaughlin — who homered twice against SEMO on Friday — nearly did it again to center field but the ball came up just short on the wall.
Bottom 1 (KSU) - Arkansas 0, Kansas State 0
Ace left-hander Hagen Smith walked on to the mound to right the wrongs of last season's regional performance against TCU, and things went smoothly in the first. He retired the first Wildcat batter on a wipeout slider before forcing a groundout on only two pitches. Against former Team USA teammate Kaelen Culpepper, Smith worked fast and finished a 10-pitch frame after another groundout.
Top 2 (Arkansas) - Arkansas 0, Kansas State 0
Kansas State right Jackson Wentworth was dialing his fastball up to 94-95 MPH, and he got Wehiwa Aloy to pull a ground ball over to third base for a quick first out in the second. After a strong multi-hit game on Friday, Kendall Diggs got his day started with a swinging strikeout on a low breaking ball. Wentworth put the exclamation mark on a strong 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout looking to Peyton Holt.
Bottom 2 (KSU) - Arkansas 0, Kansas State 0
The single-season program strikeout record for Arkansas was broken in the bottom of the second, as Smith's first out came swinging. It was Smith's 156th of the year, passing David Walling (1999). Arkansas' southpaw had to quickly dial in, though, as a walk gave the Wildcats some life. That runner was replaced with another at first base after a fielder's choice groundout, but he too was wiped off by Hudson White on a caught-stealing attempt.
Top 3 (Arkansas) - Arkansas 0, Kansas State 0
In Jack Wagner's first start since April 30, he popped up right behind the plate to get the third inning started. A good play by Kansas State infielder Brady Day retired Ty Wilmsmeyer at first base, and Stovall picked up Arkansas' first hit of the day on a shift-beater. A check-me swing by White resulted in a two-foot groundout for an anticlimactic end to the inning.
Bottom 3 (KSU) - Arkansas 0, Kansas State 0
Smith's low-pitch count day continued in the third, as he quickly set down the first two Kansas State batters with a grounder and a strikeout on only four pitches. Naturally, Smith walked the next Wildcat in a full-count but forced another groundball on the first pitch to end the inning.
Top 4 (Arkansas) - Arkansas 0, Kansas State 0
Despite their being no obviously apparent reason for it, Sprague-Lott attempted to bunt to start the fourth but was thrown out at first. McLaughlin followed up with a grounder into the shift. Aloy broke up the 1-2-3 bid on a single up the middle, and Diggs kept the train chuggin with an oppo-single to left field. With runners on first and third, Holt popped up to first base in foul territory to strand both baserunners.
Bottom 4 (KSU) - Arkansas 0, Kansas State 0
The Hagen Smith show continued in his fourth inning, as he picked up two quick strikeouts on the Wildcats' 2 and 3-hole hitters to start things off. Kansas State did end the no-hitter on a single up the middle, but Smith fought back to strike out another Wildcat to end the frame.
Top 5 (Arkansas) - Arkansas 2, Kansas State 0
Wagner popped up to start the fifth, but the bad vibes quickly flipped after hitting-machine Wilmsmeyer poked one through the right side of the infield. He stole second and Stovall walked to give the Hogs two men on base. Wilmsmeyer forced the issue on a steal attempt and he came around to score after Kansas State's catcher threw the ball into foul territory. Stovall advanced to third on the play and crossed home plate following a single by White to center field.
Sprague-Lott kept the station-to-station baseball churning with a single over the third baseman. McLaughlin picked up the second out of the frame on a fly ball to left field, and Aloy matched with a popup to right on the first pitch of his at-bat.
Bottom 5 (KSU) - Kansas State 6, Arkansas 2
Kansas State earned its first leadoff man of an inning in the fifth after Smith walked a batter in a full-count. Smith's lack of control followed him to the next Wildcat, who also walked in a full-count to put the pressure on the Razorback ace. A good sac-bunt moved both runners over into scoring position, and a run came in to score after a single. Another single tied the game, and a sac-bunt gave the Wildcats the lead. Smith wasn't out of trouble yet, as he gave up a three-run bomb to hand Kansas State a 6-2 advantage. Smith picked up a much-needed strikeout and groundout to end the unideal frame.
