Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Razorbacks sweep series by blasting Stony Brook
NO. 12 ARKANSAS 15, STONY BROOK 7
FAYETTEVILLE — After winning two nail biters against scrappy Stony Brook on Friday, the No. 12 University of Arkansas put the hammer down on their visitors in a Saturday rout.
Jack Kenley launched a pair of two-run home runs as the Razorbacks blasted their way to a 15-7 victory before a crowd of 2,560 at Baum-Walker Stadium to sweep the chilly threegame series.
Arkansas (9-1) won its 17th game in a row at home and its 28th out of the last 29 games at Baum-Walker.
“Our hitting has been timely; it hasn’t been overpowering,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said of the 9-1 start. “But you know, I like what I’ve seen, the way we run the bases and do some things that have allowed us to win games when maybe we shouldn’t have.”
Kenley, hitting in the 7 hole, drilled his two-run shots in the fifth and sixth innings, the first a blast off the scoreboard in right-center field and the next into the Sea Wolves’ bullpen to put Arkansas ahead 14-3.
“I knew it was coming,” Kenley said of his home run stroke, which has produced a team-high three home runs. “It was no surprise to me. We have wonderful coaches. I know it’s always been there, it was just a matter of getting it out and making sure the wind’s blowing in the right direction.”
The Razorbacks’ offensive explosion, which featured 15 hits — 4 home runs and 7 extra-base hits — covered up freshman Connor Noland’s first shaky start in three appearances.
The right-hander gave up a pair of first-inning runs and allowed the leadoff runner to reach base in all four of the innings he started. Noland, who has a no-decision in all three of his starts, got the hook after allowing a single and a hit batsman to open the fourth inning. He gave up 6 hits, 1 walk, 2 hit batsmen and 3 earned runs in his 3 innings.
“I think that he’s got to just be more consistent,” Van Horn said. “He had a couple of good innings, but not enough. Pitch count got up there pretty good pretty quick and we had a lot of guys available. That’s why I got him today after about 55 pitches or so.”
Stony Brook (3-6) had the go-ahead runners on base in the ninth inning in both games of Friday’s doubleheader, won 3-1 and 4-3 by the Razorbacks.
“It was a tale of two days,” Stony Brook Coach Matt Senk said. “Yesterday we were right there in both games. Even this one, we got off to a shaky start but got it to one run. It seemed like every time we scored, Arkansas came back.
“When we went to our bullpen, our bullpen just didn’t hold it like we needed to, obviously, and the game got away from us.”
The Sea Wolves plated two runs in the first after Nick Grande led off with a bloop single and advanced on a Christian Franklin fielding error and a stolen base. Grande scored on Chris Hamilton’s sacrifice fly and Sean Buckhout provided a two-out single to score Michael Wilson, who hit a double just inside the chalk down the left-field line.
The Razorbacks responded with four first-inning runs after their first five batters reached against freshman right-hander Nick DeGennaro (0-1).
Casey Martin walked and scored on Heston Kjerstad’s double to the wall in right center. Trevor Ezell slapped an opposite-field single to right to plate Kjerstad, then Dominic Fletcher followed with a double. Casey Opitz singled Ezell in, then Kenley’s ground out brought in Fletcher with the fourth run.
“It was huge,” Kjerstad said of the four-run rally. “It switched the momentum early in the game … to take the lead early, so it was big for us.”
Zebulon Vermillion (2-0) allowed one hit in two innings to pick up his second victory of the week.
Franklin led the Razorbacks with three hits, and four others — Kenley, Kjerstad, Ezell and Fletcher — had two hits each.
Kenley tied Franklin, who drove in three runs with a home run and two singles, for the team RBI lead with 12. Ezell and Franklin also homered.
Franklin, hitting in the 9 hole, has 9 hits, 4 for extra bases and 9 runs scored.
“It’s been good to come and be an impact in the lineup,” Franklin said. “We’ve been working really hard this off-season so for the season to come around and for me to play well it means a lot to the team and myself.”