Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Hogs cruise past Tigers
Three home runs in eighth inning fuel 14-1 victory.
NO. 2 ARKANSAS 14, MEMPHIS 1
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas scored nine runs on five extra-base hits in the eighth inning to blow open its midweek opener against Memphis on Tuesday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The No. 2 Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 14-1 to extend their winning streak to three games. The teams are scheduled to play again today at 3 p.m.
The 14 runs were a season high for Arkansas (15-3). The Razorbacks scored 13 runs during their season-opening victory over Texas Tech on Feb. 20.
Arkansas’ biggest inning of the year included a leadoff home run by Braydon Webb; a two-run home run by Cayden Wallace and a grand slam by Jacob Nesbit with 1 out; and two-out RBI doubles by Christian Franklin and Zack Gregory.
The Razorbacks sent 14 batters to the plate and recorded 7 hits and 3 walks in the inning. Pinch hitter Ethan Bates also reached on a catcher’s interference call against Memphis preseason All-American Hunter Goodman.
Memphis pitchers James Muse and Brayden Green
combined to throw 66 pitches in the eighth inning. Six earned runs were charged to Green, who threw 56 pitches to record two outs.
Wallace said Webb’s home run ignited the rest of the lineup.
“It fired us up pretty well, and the dugout was electric,” Wallace said. “That whole inning was just great to see everybody pat each other on the back. It’s just great to see this team do an inning like that because we all knew we’re capable of it. It’s just fun when that stuff happens.”
Muse, who allowed the first two runs in the eighth inning, entered the game in the fourth and had allowed one run through his first 31/3 innings in relief of starter Dalton Kendrick.
The Razorbacks had six hits over the first seven innings, but poor command by Memphis pitching put an Arkansas runner on base in every inning but the fifth. The Razorbacks drew 10 walks and were hit by three pitches.
Arkansas scored 4 runs over the first 2 innings on 3 hits, 3 walks and 2 hit batters by the left-handed Kendrick, who entered the game with a 14.29 ERA.
Wallace’s RBI single in the first inning gave the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead, and Arkansas added three runs in the second inning on Franklin’s bases-loaded walk and a tworun single by Charlie Welch.
“We put together some innings earlier that were maybe one hit, some walks, some hit by pitches, getting pitch counts up — just enough to grab a 4-0 lead at the time,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “It was nice to see a little bit of pop there in that eighth inning and put that thing away.”
Nesbit extended the Razorbacks’ lead to 5-1 on a bases-loaded infield single to score Brady Slavens in the seventh inning — one of seven runs with two outs by Arkansas. Nesbit was initially ruled out on a close play at first base, but the call was overturned by replay.
Nesbit, who played second base, was one of several players to get a rare start. Arkansas withheld four everyday position starters — Robert Moore, Casey Opitz, Matt Goodheart and Cullen Smith — and played Wallace at third base instead of his usual position in right field.
Wallace went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI and walked once. He is 7 for 13 during the Razorbacks’ win streak.
Hitting leadoff in place of Moore, Webb reached base in all six plate appearances. He walked four times and was hit by a pitch.
His home run raised his batting average to .094 after a 1 for 27 start to the season. He raised his on-base percentage by 95 points to .370 after Tuesday.
“He brings a lot to our offense, and hopefully he can keep it going,” Van Horn said.
Arkansas starter Caleb Bolden allowed the Tigers’ only run in the fifth inning on a two-out RBI hit by Memphis second baseman Braden Webb to score Taylor Howell. Reliever Ryan Costeiu allowed the RBI hit on his second pitch in relief of Bolden, who was taken out after 42/3 innings.
Bolden was sharp for four innings. The only hit he allowed was a two-out triple to Goodman in the first.
Bolden hit a batter with one out in the second inning, but Austin Baskin hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Bolden retired the side in a combined 15 pitches in the third and fourth.
Bolden walked Howell to lead off the fifth and walked Zach Wilson with two outs to prompt a pitching change.
Memphis (9-9) brought the tying run to the plate after Braden Webb’s single in the fifth. Costeiu struck out Jaylen Wilbon to strand two base runners.
Costeiu, Elijah Trest, Peyton Pallette and Zack Morris combined to retire 13 of the Tigers’ final 14 batters.