Trojans take Game 2, 3-1
FAYETTEVILLE - Handcuffing the Southern California Trojans, 4-0, Friday behind the pitching of Blaine Knight and Jackson Rutledge, the Arkansas Razorbacks found themselves most handcuffed Saturday afternoon as the Trojans prevailed, 3-1, before 10,732 at Baum Stadium
The three-game series between the Southeastern Conference and Pac-12 powers will close with today’s rubber game at 12:30 p.m.
Arkansas (8-3) mustered nine hits Saturday, including a 3-for-3 by senior designated hitter Luke Bonfield, who hit a 2-run home run and an RBI groundout Friday. The lone run that scored Saturday was Eric Cole’s solo home run in the eighth off winning USC lefty starter Quentin Longrie.
Brad Wegman relieved Longrie after Bonfield’s double in the eighth and was tagged for what appeared would be a game-tying home run over left by Arkansas catcher Grant Koch. However, the wind blew it foul. Wegman regrouped and struck out Koch who had hit a shot down the the third base line that Trojans third baseman Angelo Armenta snagged with runners at first and second in the sixth preceding Jordan McFarland grounding into an inning-ending doubleplay.
USC reliever Connor Lunn sat Arkansas down 1-2-3 in the ninth for his fifth save.
“I thought off the bat it for sure would stay fair,” Koch said of his faux home run turned foul. “but something, I don’t know what it was. I didn’t hook it. But it just kept going, kept going. I didn’t how it at all. It’s one of those things that’s tough.”
And there was that sixth-inning line drive in vain.
“I definitely put a good swing on it andI hit it hard,” Koch said. “But I definitely could have stayed up the middle more and gotten the run in for sure. They chose to play me on the line so you know it’s just one of those things. That’s baseball.”
Arkansas losing starter Isaiah Campbell blanked the Trojans (8-2) for five innings yielded two singles and a walk loading the bases with one out in the sixth. Lefty Matt Cronin relieved and was greeted by Matthew Acosta’s RBI single to left but Arkansas left fielder Heston Kjerstad’s throw and Koch’s tag nailed the runner trying to score from second.
The Trojans scored two charged to Cronin, one in the seventh on Brady Shockey’s sacrifice fly and one via a leadoff walk later scoring after Cody Scroggins relieved.
Neither team committed an error.
“It was actually a very well played game,” Van Horn said. “Pitched well for the most part. Defense, both teams made some really good plays, run-saving type plays. Their pitchers did a great job.
“The lefty kept us off-balance. He did a good job getting out of jams. And then Isaiah, the same way. I mean, he got out of two or three jams. They got his pitch count going up there a little bit and it was like he ran out of gas.”