Razorbacks rally for rout over Memphis

FAYETTEVILLE - Ever so briefly Tuesday night before 3,155 at Baum Stadium, the Memphis Tigers celebrated a 3-0 first-inning lead over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Andy Bowman’s 3-run home run.

By the second inning Arkansas tied it 3-3, led 7-3 after three, then tallied four in the fifth and five in the sixth for an eventual 16-7 rout.

The victory ups Coach Dave Van Horn’s nationally 14th (USA Today Coaches poll) Razorbacks to 30-8 overall going into tonight’s 6:30 nonconference rematch with Memphis at the Arkansas Travelers’ Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock before the Razorbacks, leading the SEC West at 11-4, visit SEC West rival Auburn for a 3-game series Friday through Sunday at Auburn, Ala.

Memphis, of the American Athletic Conference, drops to 21-16.

Though outhit 14-8, the Tigers did have Tuesday’s only home run.

After Bowman’s blast over center off Arkansas starter Barrett Loseke, Tigers center fielder Tyler Webb homered leading off Memphis’ 4-run fifth against reliever Jake Reindl.

Left-hander Matt Cronin extricated Arkansas from the fifth inning jam and was officially judged the winning pitcher upping his record to 2-0 while striking out two and was unscored upon for his 1 1-3 innings.

Arkansas freshman lefty Evan Lee of Bryant pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth and Angus Denton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Arkansas center fielder Dominic Fletcher led the Razorbacks’ hit parade going 3 for 5 with a single, double and triple and four RBI. He flied to right his final two at bats trying for the home run that would have made him become the first Razorback to hit for the cycle since Kyle Harris for Norm DeBriyn’s 1994 Razorbacks.

Other Hogs with a big batting night included Chad Spanberger, 2 for 4 and 4 RB, Jake Arledge, 2 for 5 with 2 RBI, and Luke Bonfield, 1 for 4 and 2 RBI.