Kenley hits for cycle in Cardinal victory

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Razorbacks infielder Jack Kenley hit for the cycle and had 5 RBI in the first game of the Razorbacks’ Cardinal and Gray series at Baum Stadium on Wednesday.

Kenley’s Cardinal team won 13-0 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Kenley, who went 4 for 5 at the plate, also made three sharp defensive plays at shortstop, including a rangy play to his left in which he spun to throw out Heston Kjerstad by a step at first base.

“He just had a tremendous game,” University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Dave Van Horn said. “He’s one of the most improved players on our team from when he walked in here a year ago, physically and confidence-wise.

“You combo his defense with a guy swinging the bat as good as he did, he’s going to be in the lineup.”

Kenley hit a three-run home run as part of a five-run fifth inning that gave the Cardinal an 8-0 lead. He tripled in the seventh and doubled in the eighth to complete the cycle.

The left-handed-hitting Kenley hit his home run off left-handed reliever Matt Cronin, a first-pitch fastball that landed in the right-field bullpen.

“I’ll tell you, Cronin gets me just about every time, so it was about time I got him once,” Kenley said. “He just put a fastball out there and I didn’t really get all of it, but I got enough of it and that’s all that matters.”

Freshman outfielder Brady Disher hit an opposite-field three-run home run off Jackson Rutledge in the first inning, and Rutledge allowed a two-run home run to freshman catcher Casey Opitz in the fifth.

Sophomore Evan Lee earned the victory by allowing 3 hits and a walk and striking out 4 in 6 innings. Lee also went 2-for-5 with an RBI as the designated hitter.

The second game of the series is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday.