Freshman’s HRs can’t carry Hogs

UNC-CHARLOTTE 6, NO. 4 ARKANSAS 3

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Five University of North Carolina-Charlotte pitchers kept Arkansas’ offense in check, and the 49ers took advantage of three errors in the bottom of the eighth inning to break open a tight game and post a 6-3 victory over the fourth-ranked Razorbacks at Hayes Stadium on Wednesday night.

The victory marked the highest ranked team UNCC (12-8) has defeated at home, as former University of Arkansas, Fayetteville pitcher Jonah Patten, who pitched as a freshman for the Razorbacks in 2015, recorded the final three outs for the save.

“Our guys went out there and executed,” said UNCC Coach Loren Hibbs, who is in his 26th season at the school. “I’m very proud of the effort. Arkansas has pros all over the field and every arm they run out there is about the same, 90s to mid 90s with a breaking ball. We beat a great team tonight.’’

Arkansas (16-5) managed seven hits, and all of the Razorbacks’ scoring came on two Heston Kjerstad home

runs. Arkansas, which entered the game averaging 9.3 runs a game, left eight runners stranded, including three in scoring position.

Arkansas took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Kjerstad hit a two-run home run. The freshman’s solo home run in the ninth cut set the final margin.

“That was all of our offense today as far as driving in runs,” said Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn. “If we had had a better bottom of the eighth, that swing [in the ninth inning] would have been real important. We couldn’t string hits together. We just didn’t play well.”

The 49ers, the top hitting team in Conference USA, managed nine hits off nine Arkansas pitchers. UNCC took a 3-2 lead to the bottom of the eighth, but the 49ers used 3 Arkansas errors, 2 walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch and a single to score 3 runs for a 6-2 lead.

“We made some mistakes, and you especially can’t make mistakes on the road,” Van Horn said.

After Kjerstad’s second home run led off the ninth off Colby Bruce, Patten closed the game with two strikeouts sandwiched around a fly out to center.

Bruce (2-0) earned the victory, pitching 21/3 innings and allowing two hits. Patten’s save was his second of the season.

“Arkansas is so balanced that you have to keep them off balance, and we did that,” Hibbs said. “We were able to mix and match out of the bullpen. Bruce was the guy and when he got hot we decided to stick with him. Most of our bullpen was really good.”

Arkansas got three solid innings from starter Barrett Loseke, who made his second start of the year. Loseke didn’t allow a hit while striking out eight.

Loseke struck out the 49ers in order in the first, and the junior got three consecutive strikeouts in the second after giving up a leadoff walk to cleanup hitter Harris Yett, Conference USA’s leading hitter.

UNCC’s only contact against Loseke came on a ground out to shortstop to start the third which the right-hander followed with two more strikeouts to end his day.

“I thought he threw pretty good,” Van Horn said. “He gave us a chance. We built up a 2-0 lead and should have had more. He did a good job for us.”

Arkansas returns to action at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Florida (18-4, 2-1) to begin a weekend series against the Gators.

Arkansas State University used 12 hits to score its 9 runs Wednesday, but was undone by 12 walks and 3 errors as Missouri swept the midweek series at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo.

The Red Wolves (8-10) took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning on consecutive RBI doubles by Kyle MacDonald and Logan Andersen. The Tigers (17-5) responded with three runs in the second on a two-run single by Kameron Misner and an RBI fielder’s choice by Alex Samples. Andersen added an RBI single in the third and Caleb Squire hit an RBI double to give ASU a 4-3 lead.

But the Tigers bounced back, getting two runs in the third with two outs on a throwing error by ASU pitcher Zachary Patterson and an RBI single by Connor Brumfield. A passed ball gave Missouri a 6-4 lead before the Tigers poured it on with a seven-run fifth inning. All seven runs came on singles — Mark Vierling and Zach Hanna hit two-run singles while Misner, Brumfield and Samples scored single runs each with theirs.

Arkansas State scored three runs in the seventh inning on an RBI fielder’s choice by Andrew Lannon and a tworun single by Squire to cut the lead to 13-7. After a fielding error in the seventh pushed Missouri’s lead at 14-7, the Red Wolves scored twice in the ninth on a single by Garrett Hawkins and a sacrifice fly by Cullen Ray.

MacDonald went 4 for 5 with 3 runs to lead ASU, while Squire was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI. Patterson took the loss after allowing 5 runs — 3 earned — on 3 hits with 4 walks and 1 strikeout over 3 innings.