Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Razorbacks batter Longhorns at Baum
NO. 10 ARKANSAS 13, TEXAS 4
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks gave old Southwest Conference rival Texas a rude welcome back to the Ozarks on Tuesday night.
The No. 10 Razorbacks erupted for seven runs in the third inning and battered the Longhorns 13-4 on a chilly night before a crowd of 5,140 at Baum Stadium. The rout matched Arkansas’ largest victory over the Longhorns (13-4 on March 31, 1984).
Jordan McFarland drove in four runs, Eric Cole had three hits and drove in three runs and Casey Martin hit a three-run home run to back Kacey Murphy (2-0). The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (12-4) won its second in a row over the Longhorns, who visited the Hogs for the first time since a three-game SWC series in 1991. Texas (9-8) lost its fourth game in a row.
Arkansas cranked out 13
hits against five Texas pitchers and the Longhorns had nine hits.
The left-hander Murphy allowed his first two earned runs of the season in his third start on solo home runs in the fourth and fifth, but it was far too little and too late by then. Murphy allowed 5 hits and 2 runs and struck out 3 while throwing 78 pitches in his 6 innings. Jacob Kostyshock worked the final three innings to post his first save.
D.J. Petrinksy launched two home runs for the Longhorns, the first two of his career, and drove in three runs. Zach Zubia hit a home run off the scoreboard in the fourth for the first earned run allowed by Murphy in his 14th inning of the year as Texas cut its deficit to 7-1.
A base-running mistake blunted a scoring chance for the Razorbacks in the second inning, when Grant Koch’s single through third baseman Ryan Reynolds sent Dominic Fletcher to third after he walked, but Koch was cut down at second base.
Arkansas did not let its scoring chance slip by in the third against Beau Ridgeway (1-1), who was making his first start
after eight relief appearances. Jordan McFarland walked on four pitches, then Carson Shaddy hit a smash past shortstop that triggered some errant throws by the Longhorns.
Left fielder Masen Hibbeler’s wild throw to third allowed Shaddy to scamper to second and Ridgeway, who backed up the throw to third, sent one wide of second that allowed McFarland to score.
After Casey Martin struck out, Eric Cole stroked a single to center to plate Shaddy. Luke Bonfield hit an RBI single, Fletcher launched a sacrifice fly and Jordan McFarland laced a three-run double to left field that ate up third baseman Ryan Reynolds’ backhand attempt.
After Texas pulled within 7-2 in the fifth, the Razorbacks put the game away in the bottom of the inning, staring on McFarland’s single to drive in Koch. Martin’s home run was strange. The freshman from Lonoke stood at home plate throughout the hit as the left fielder Hibbeler drifted into foul territory in the corner to track the ball. The wind blew it back into fair territory and it hit about 10 feet up the foul pole to give the Hogs an 11-4 lead.
The teams wrap up their two-game set today at 4 p.m.