Arkansas is trounced 16-4 by Kentucky
FAYETTEVILLE - No Andrew Benintendi two home runs heroics or Trey Killian type breakthrough victory Saturday night for Arkansas like Benintendi, Killian and the Razorbacks achieved 5-3 over the Kentucky Wildcats Friday night.
Just a lopsided Arkansas 16-4 loss before 6,145 well thinned by the finish at Baum Stadium. What the Wildcats inflicted Saturday on losing No. 2 starter Dominic Taccolini (5-3) and the Razorbacks creates a 1-1 split heading into today's noon rubber game of the SEC 3-game set at Baum Stadium.
Arkansas takes a 19-16 overall record and 6-8 SEC record into today's series finale while the Wildcats advanced to 18-14, 6-8 in the SEC East. Leading 10-0 after Kentucky's 3-run first and 7-run third, winning Kentucky starter Dustin Beggs breezed up 13-0 into the sixth with a 2-hit shutout. Beggs hitting leadoff batter Clark Eagan, perhaps in subtle retaliation to Arkansas pitchers hitting six Kentucky batters, led to a sixth-inning Arkansas unearned run. A wild pitch and shortstop Connor Heady's error scored Eagan from second.
Eagan and Benintendi both singled in Arkansas' two-run eighth helped by two Kentucky errors, one by Beggs.
Beggs, now 4-2, finished with a 5-hitter after eighth turning it over to reliever Zach Pop allowing Carson Shaddy's RBI single in the ninth.
Arkansas' six pitchers used Saturday obviously were not aiming to hit Kentucky batters. They simply couldn't find the plate, walking 11 besides hitting six while racked for 15 hits. Taccolini's start began text book disastrous walking leadoff batter Kyle Barrett on four pitches.
"That was not a good sign at all when you walk the leadoff man on four pitches," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "Obviously 'Dominic didn't have much of anything. He just couldn't locate his fast ball. We were down 10 runs against a guy (Beggs) not giving us much and we just tried to get through the game and used some young pitchers and they didn't do a very good job. Not an enjoyable night for anybody here that was a Razorback fan. We haven't won the middle game of a SEC series yet but unlike some sports, in baseball you don't have to wait a week to play again. It's a big game tomorrow for both teams."
Evan White bettered his intended sacrifice bunt after the leadoff walk beating it out for a single. Ka'ai Tom belted one over center fielder Benintendi's head. White's dawdling, thinking the ball would be caught, left Kentucky with runners at first and second instead of second and third while Barrett scored.
It didn't matter. Both White and Tom would score, too. Dorian Hairston's single after JaVon Shelby walked scored one. Storm Wilson's unusual inning-ending sacrifice/doubleplay fly to left scored the other. Tom tallied on the fly but Shelby was nailed trying to sneak from second to third, 7-26. Shortstop Brett McAfee covered third taking catcher Tucker Pennell's throw.
Taccolini could not survive another bases-loaded inning, a 7-run Kentucky third-inning bonanza at his expense and reliever Jacob Stone's, too. With one out, Taccolini allowed a single, hit a batter and walked another. A short fly to center became Taccolini's final reprieve. Zach Arnold's single up the middle scored two with another scoring and Arnold advancing to third on Benintendi's wild throw intended for third. Another walk hooked Taccolini for Stone.
Barrett singled home one run. White walked before Tom's 2-run double tattooed the center field wall. Shelby finally was retired as the inning's 11th batter.
Barrett's RBI triple and Tom's sacrifice fly chipped Stone for two more in the fifth and the Wildcats scored one off Jonah Patten in the sixth.
Homering for Kentucky Friday night, Dorian Hairston Saturday hit a 2-run home run during a 3-run seventh.