Blunders taketh, then giveth to UA
FAYETTEVILLE — Miscues nearly cost the Arkansas Razorbacks a series victory Friday, but it was Georgia who eventually gave the game away.
Evan Lee scored from first base after a base hit and two Georgia errors, and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville beat the Bulldogs 5-4 in 10 innings in front of 6,419 at Baum Stadium. Arkansas will attempt the series sweep today at 2 p.m.
Lee, a freshman pinch-hitter, battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a leadoff walk in the 10th. He advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Eric Cole, then to third on a throwing error by Georgia pitcher Zac Kristofak.
Lee scored after right fielder Tucker Bradley air-mailed his throw to the backstop. The Bryant native hesitated as the ball hit the backstop, then sprinted about 45 feet before sliding home. He was tackled by his teammates in front of the Georgia dugout as the No. 15 Razorbacks celebrated clinching their fourth SEC series victory in five weeks.
Lee indicated he made the decision to run home after third base coach Tony Vitello gave him the stop sign.
“We were kind of looking at each other,” Lee said. “My eyes were wide open, his eyes were wide open, and we were kind of like deer in some headlights. All of the situations went through my head … in a matter of like five seconds and then I was just like ‘Go’. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but it happened.”
Georgia (15-21, 4-10) tied Friday’s game 4-4 when second baseman Carson Shaddy committed a two-out throwing error in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded in a 4-2 game, Cam Shepherd hit the ball to shortstop Jax Biggers, who had to wait on a slow roller before flipping it to Shaddy.
Instead of holding the ball, Shaddy attempted to throw out Shepherd at first base but threw wide of first baseman Chad Spanberger, which allowed pinch-hitter LJ Talley to score the game-tying run.
“You have to have a clock in your head,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “There’s no way we’re going to turn the double play there. That’s just inexperience, but he’s got to know.”
Shaddy committed another error — his team-leading 12th — later in the inning, but Spanberger was able to corral Shaddy’s low throw and catch Shepherd at home. The play was appealed, but replay showed catcher Grant Koch tagged Shepherd before his foot reached home plate.
“It was an incredible play,” Van Horn said. “When I saw the throw out of Shaddy’s hand, I knew it was low. Chad did a really nice job almost picking it and kept it right in front of him and had enough awareness to make the throw to the plate. He didn’t feel sorry for himself or us. He just turned and fired a strike.”
Arkansas (28-8, 10-4 SEC) took over sole possession of first place in the conference by winning a game similar to the one it lost against LSU last Saturday when Biggers made a two-out error to allow the tying and go-ahead runs to score.
“I think this win kickstarts us in the right direction towards an SEC championship or road to Omaha and those accolades,” Lee said. “I think if we just do what we keep doing and grinding out these games that we’ll be successful.”
The Razorbacks took a 3-2 lead on Luke Bonfield’s two-run home run to left-center field in the seventh. The home run was one of 11 two-out hits for the Razorbacks, who had a twoout hit in seven of their first eight innings.
Jake Arledge’s two-out single scored Biggers in the eighth to give Arkansas a 4-2 lead. Biggers, who had two doubles, also scored in the seventh on Bonfield’s home run.
“A lot of our innings were created later in the inning,” Van Horn said. “We did a nice job of battling. I know the first run we scored, I think we got three hits in a row with two outs. There were a couple others in there I know that started with two outs, whether we scored or not. We did a good job.”
Georgia took a 2-1 lead on Michael Curry’s RBI single
in the fifth. Curry, the Bulldogs’ cleanup batter, hit his third home run of the series in the fourth and is 6 for 8 with 6 RBI in two games against the Razorbacks.
Both of Curry’s RBI hits came against Arkansas starter Trevor Stephan, who struck out six in a 42/3-inning no-decision. Sophomore right-hander Jake Reindl pitched two scoreless innings to earn his first career victory.