HawgBeat - Texas A&M run-rules Arkansas in Game 3 defeat
HawgBeat provides a game recap and box score from Arkansas' 14-4 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.
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The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (43-12, 20-10 SEC) were run-ruled to close out the regular season in a 14-4 defeat to the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies (44-11, 19-11 SEC) on Saturday at Blue Bell Park.
Arkansas was less-than-stellar at the plate against the Aggies, as the Hogs finished the game 5-for-25 overall (.200), 2-for-11 with runners on (.182) and 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position (.250).
Redshirt senior right-hander Will McEntire was unable to escape the second inning, as he allowed four earned runs off four hits with only one strikeout in 1.1 innings. RHP Cooper Dossett was given the loss after only making it through 1.1 innings due to an apparent injury.
Ben Bybee, Stone Hewlett and Dylan Carter combined to toss the final four frames with five strikeouts, nine earned runs and 10 hits.
Kendall Diggs swung at the first pitch of the game at Blue Bell Park and popped up in foul territory. Jared Sprague-Lott walked but got picked off at first base and Peyton Stovall ended the inning with a strikeout.
Will McEntire began his outing with a walk, and that runner came around a score following a two-run blast to LaViolette. McEntire collected a groundout and two fly outs to escape the first with a 2-0 deficit.
The top of the second started with another groundout from Wehiwa Aloy, but Hudson White stayed white-hot with a solo homer to draw it within one. Besides a single by Ryder Helfrick, the Hogs went quietly in the rest of the second.
McEntire retook the mound in the latter half of the frame and immediately allowed a single to right field before striking out the next Aggie. Texas A&M then homered to left field to take a 4-1 advantage. McEntire was relieved after a single for RHP Cooper Dossett, who forced two groundouts to end the inning.
Ty Wilmsmeyer continued his good series with a leadoff single in the top of the third. Diggs took a 1-2 pitch to center field but it was caught, and Sprague-Lott singled to left field to give the Hogs two baserunners. A Stovall groundout moved them both homer and Aloy tied the game with a three-run blast. The inning ended after a White punchout.
Needing some quick stops to keep up the momentum, Braden Montgomery led the bottom of the third with a solo homer. After two flyouts and a walk, Ben Bybee was brought in for Dossett. He allowed a double to his frist batter but earned a groundout to escape the frame.
Texas A&M turned to Cortez out of the bullpen to start the fourth, and he walked McLaughlin before striking out Helfrick, Holt and Wilmsmeyer back-to-back-to-back. The Hogs started the bottom of the fourth with a swinging K and escaped without allowing a hit.
In the top of the fifth, Diggs worked a good AB and reached base via walk, but Sprague-Lott struck out in the next AB. Stovall was hit by the first pitch of his AB but it was again followed by a punchout by Aloy. White earned a four-pitch walk and McLaughlin ended things with a flyout.
Bybee worked an impressive fifth inning, as he struck out two batters around a single and a popup. Helfrick led off the top of the sixth with a strikeout, followed by two more strikeouts by Holt and Wilmsmeyer.
Thanks to a shift, the Aggies started the bottom of the sixth with a dribbler to the third base gap, and then a double gave Texas A&M runners on second and third. The Aggies extended their lead to two runs after a wild pitch, and then a walk gave them runners on first and third. As a result, DVH handed the ball of to LHP Stone Hewlett out of the bullpen.
A poor inning got even worse after a Hewlett walk loaded the bases. He sent Montgomery home packing with a three-pitch swing and a miss but a wild pitch scored another run. The bases were reloaded after a walk, and the Aggies busted the dam open with a 3-RBI double to take a 10-4 lead. DVH made the executive decision to bring in RHP Dylan Carter out of the pen.
Carter allowed a single through the right side on his second pitch to allow another run. The runner on first was picked off and final out of the long frame came via foul-ground popup.
Bullpen arm Zane Badmaev entered the game to start the top of the seventh, and drew his first victim in the form of a full-count strikeout on Diggs. Sprague-Lott went down 0-2 quickly and was retired after a foulout. Stovall sent the Hogs back to the dugout thanks to a grounder back to the pitcher.
The Aggies piled on more runs in the latter half of the frame following a two-run blast after a single. Carter stayed on the mound and proceeded to give up a single before a passed ball put the winning run on second base. A strikeout kept the Hogs' chances alive before a four-pitch walk, and a single to left center gave the Aggies the run-rule victory.
Up next, the Razorback will rest up before hitting the road for the SEC Tournament as the number two seed. First pitch will likely be in the afternoon on Wednesday and it will broadcast on SEC Network.
Box Score
Coming soon...
