I just realized I forgot to post this yesterday. Hit the road pretty much right after the game.
arkansas.rivals.com
The No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (41-16) had their run at the SEC Tournament end Saturday in a 5-4 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies (36-24) at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
A three-run bottom of the sixth inning highlighted the day for the Aggies, who scored two of the runs on RBI walks from Arkansas freshmen pitchers Gage Wood and Parker Coil.
Arkansas threatened with three runs in the top of the ninth, but the Aggies brought on lefty Troy Wansing to shut things down and he did so with back-to-back strikeouts to Jace Bohrofen and Jared Wegner.
Right-hander Brady Tygart threw 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the start and he was relieved by righty Will McEntire, who was tagged with three runs on three hits in just 2 1/3 innings of work.
Arkansas left nine runners on base and it was just 5-for-21 at the plate with runners on base. Five of the nine runners left on base came from when the Hogs left the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and when they stranded a pair in the top of the seventh.
The Aggies threw four pitchers, who combined to strike out Arkansas batters 14 times on the day. The Razorbacks tossed six arms, three of which were freshmen, and they combined to walk seven and strike out six.
After retiring the Aggies in order during the top of the first, Tygart issued a leadoff walk and then hit the next batter with a pitch to put two on with no outs in the top of the second. The Arkansas righty responded with a strikeout and a 5-4-3 double play that got him out of trouble and ended the inning.
Arkansas stranded its second leadoff base runner in the top of the third and Tygart then allowed two batters to reach with two outs in the bottom of the frame. Trevor Werner doubled to the wall in right-center to score the game's first run, but that was all the Aggies could scratch across in the inning.
Tygart gave up a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth and after inducing a groundout, he was relieved by McEntire, who stranded the lone runner.
After Dillard threw four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, the Aggies elected to bring in lefty Shane Sdao to star the fifth inning. Sdao ran into a bases loaded situation with just one out, but Tavian Josenberger fouled out and Diggs struck out swinging to strand the runners.
Arkansas' lineup was retired in order in the top of the sixth, but the story was different for A&M in the bottom. Jordan Thompson hit a one-out single to third and he came around to score via a two-out RBI double down the left field line from Austin Bost that made it a 2-0 deficit for Arkansas.
Razorback head coach Dave Van Horn turned to Wood with two outs, a 2-0 count on Brett Minnich and Bost at second. Wood allowed Minnich a free pass and he walked catcher Max Kaufer to load the bases.
After Wood issued an RBI walk to Hunter Haas that made it a 3-0 deficit, Van Horn turned to Coil. The fourth Texas A&M run crossed via another walk before Caleb Cali was finally able to field a chopper and step on third to end the frame.
Cali followed up his play in the field with a leadoff double down down the left field line in the top of the seventh. With one out down, Ben McLaughlin pinch hit for catcher Parker Rowland and he took the first pitch he saw for an RBI single to center that made it a 4-1 lead for the Aggies.
The Aggies turned from Sdao to left-hander Brandyn Garcia following a two-out single from Josenberger. A groundout from Diggs stranded two more Arkansas baserunners and send the game to the seventh inning stretch.
Coil gave up a pair of one-out hits in the bottom of the seventh and Van Horn elected to turn to fellow freshman Christian Foutch with two runners in scoring position. The hard throwing righty worked around traffic and didn't allow the Aggies to plate anymore runs.
With sophomore right-hander Austin Ledbetter on the mound, the Aggies added an insurance run on an RBI single from Jace LaViolette in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-1.
Cali led the top of the ninth off with a single and Peyton Holt was hit by a ball two pitches later. John Bolton drove both runners home with a two-run double down the right field line that made the A&M lead 5-3 and resulted in a pitching change to Wansing.
Bolton scored when Diggs reached on a fielding error by Moss at first base, but back-to-back strikeouts from Jace Bohrofen and Jared Wegner cut the comeback short.
Arkansas now turns it attention to the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday, which will begin at noon CT on ESPN2. The Razorbacks are all but a lock to be a top-8 national seed.
HawgBeat - Texas A&M eliminates Arkansas from SEC Tournament
The Arkansas baseball team was eliminated from the SEC Tournament after a 5-4 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.
arkansas.rivals.com
The No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (41-16) had their run at the SEC Tournament end Saturday in a 5-4 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies (36-24) at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
A three-run bottom of the sixth inning highlighted the day for the Aggies, who scored two of the runs on RBI walks from Arkansas freshmen pitchers Gage Wood and Parker Coil.
Arkansas threatened with three runs in the top of the ninth, but the Aggies brought on lefty Troy Wansing to shut things down and he did so with back-to-back strikeouts to Jace Bohrofen and Jared Wegner.
Right-hander Brady Tygart threw 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the start and he was relieved by righty Will McEntire, who was tagged with three runs on three hits in just 2 1/3 innings of work.
Arkansas left nine runners on base and it was just 5-for-21 at the plate with runners on base. Five of the nine runners left on base came from when the Hogs left the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and when they stranded a pair in the top of the seventh.
The Aggies threw four pitchers, who combined to strike out Arkansas batters 14 times on the day. The Razorbacks tossed six arms, three of which were freshmen, and they combined to walk seven and strike out six.
After retiring the Aggies in order during the top of the first, Tygart issued a leadoff walk and then hit the next batter with a pitch to put two on with no outs in the top of the second. The Arkansas righty responded with a strikeout and a 5-4-3 double play that got him out of trouble and ended the inning.
Arkansas stranded its second leadoff base runner in the top of the third and Tygart then allowed two batters to reach with two outs in the bottom of the frame. Trevor Werner doubled to the wall in right-center to score the game's first run, but that was all the Aggies could scratch across in the inning.
Tygart gave up a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth and after inducing a groundout, he was relieved by McEntire, who stranded the lone runner.
After Dillard threw four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, the Aggies elected to bring in lefty Shane Sdao to star the fifth inning. Sdao ran into a bases loaded situation with just one out, but Tavian Josenberger fouled out and Diggs struck out swinging to strand the runners.
Arkansas' lineup was retired in order in the top of the sixth, but the story was different for A&M in the bottom. Jordan Thompson hit a one-out single to third and he came around to score via a two-out RBI double down the left field line from Austin Bost that made it a 2-0 deficit for Arkansas.
Razorback head coach Dave Van Horn turned to Wood with two outs, a 2-0 count on Brett Minnich and Bost at second. Wood allowed Minnich a free pass and he walked catcher Max Kaufer to load the bases.
After Wood issued an RBI walk to Hunter Haas that made it a 3-0 deficit, Van Horn turned to Coil. The fourth Texas A&M run crossed via another walk before Caleb Cali was finally able to field a chopper and step on third to end the frame.
Cali followed up his play in the field with a leadoff double down down the left field line in the top of the seventh. With one out down, Ben McLaughlin pinch hit for catcher Parker Rowland and he took the first pitch he saw for an RBI single to center that made it a 4-1 lead for the Aggies.
The Aggies turned from Sdao to left-hander Brandyn Garcia following a two-out single from Josenberger. A groundout from Diggs stranded two more Arkansas baserunners and send the game to the seventh inning stretch.
Coil gave up a pair of one-out hits in the bottom of the seventh and Van Horn elected to turn to fellow freshman Christian Foutch with two runners in scoring position. The hard throwing righty worked around traffic and didn't allow the Aggies to plate anymore runs.
With sophomore right-hander Austin Ledbetter on the mound, the Aggies added an insurance run on an RBI single from Jace LaViolette in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-1.
Cali led the top of the ninth off with a single and Peyton Holt was hit by a ball two pitches later. John Bolton drove both runners home with a two-run double down the right field line that made the A&M lead 5-3 and resulted in a pitching change to Wansing.
Bolton scored when Diggs reached on a fielding error by Moss at first base, but back-to-back strikeouts from Jace Bohrofen and Jared Wegner cut the comeback short.
Arkansas now turns it attention to the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday, which will begin at noon CT on ESPN2. The Razorbacks are all but a lock to be a top-8 national seed.
