Gators erase Arkansas’ impressive series opener

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 2 Florida Gators emphatically evened up the weekend’s Southeastern Conference series with the No.

4 Arkansas Razorbacks after dropping Friday’s opener.

The Gators (20-5, 3-2) punished the Razorbacks (17-5, 4-1), 17-2, at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field on Saturday in a nationally broadcast game on ESPN2. Arkansas claimed a

6-3 victory on Friday behind a quality start from junior Blaine Knight and freshman outfielder Heston Kjerstad

Kjerstad continued to swing the hot bat as Arkansas won their fourth conference game in a row. It was the second straight year Arkansas began conference play with four consecutive victories.

In the four wins this year, it was the offense that carried the squad as the Hogs hit at least two home runs and totaled 10 or more hits in each game. Kjerstad and sophomore outfielder Dominic Fletcher launched long balls on Friday, giving Arkansas 43 homers for the year, which continues to lead the SEC.

Kjerstad fell just a triple shy of the cycle Friday night and hit his sixth home run of the year in the sixth inning, his third in his last seven atbats. He had a single, a double, and a home run all before the seventh inning and walked in his fourth plate appearance in the eighth to keep his perfect day intact.

Kjerstad’s 3-for-3 day at the plate easily extends his hit streak to six games dating back to the March 14th game against Texas. During that span, the freshman has amassed 10 hits and 11 RBIs with four home runs, the best among all Razorbacks.

Knight (4-0) outdueled Florida starter Brady Singer (5-1) by throwing a quality 6.2 innings with three earned runs allowed and 10 strikeouts, just one shy of his career high. It was his first start this year with 10 or more strikeouts and fifth quality outing out of six starts.

Sophomore Matt Cronin got the six-out save by coming out of the bullpen in the middle of the eighth and retiring six of seven batters with three strikeouts. It was Cronin’s fourth save of the year and third in as many appearances.

The Razorbacks got major production from its 5-9 hitters against the Gator pitching staff to open the series. The combo of Fletcher, sophomore infielder Jordan McFarland, Kjerstad, junior catcher Grant Koch, and redshirt senior infielder Carson Shaddy went 8-for-17, .471, on Friday, six of those hits coming off Singer.

Arkansas hitters have dominated Singer going back to last year’s SEC Tournament semifinals. In those two starts, the Hogs have totaled 17 hits and 15 earned on the former second-round pick and compiled a .395 batting average. Coming into Friday night’s game, Singer held hitters to a .207 average and given up just seven earned

runs in 2018.

The Razorbacks strung together three hits in the second to jump on the Gators early, scoring the first three runs of the game, two off a single from Shaddy that ricocheted off Singers leg and bounced into right field, scoring Kjerstad and McFarland.

Arkansas had scored 80 runs in the first three innings this season, which still accounts for

41 percent of the Hogs overall runs.

Fletcher provided his third home run of the year in the fourth inning, going to straightaway center field. He finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and extended his hitting streak to seven games. Over his last four games, the California native has seven hits, two for extra bases, and has totaled three multi-hit games.

On Saturday, Florida scored

12 runs in the first three innings and then five more in the sixth. Razorback starting pitcher Isaiah Campbell (2-3) struggled from the onset, allowing a career-high five earned runs in one-plus innings.

Trouble began with two leadoff walks to start the game, followed by a Wil Dalton single to load up the bases. Two batters later, Jonathan India hit a grand slam to make it 4-0, sending the Gators off and running.

The one inning pitched by Campbell was the shortest start of his career, as he gave up four hits to 11 batters faced. He struck out two, marking his sixthstraight start with two or more strikeouts. He was saddled with the loss to fall to 2-3 on the year.

At the plate, Arkansas managed eight hits in the game, three coming in the fourth inning, which was when the Hogs scored their only runs.

Kjerstad turned in a 2-for-4 game, his eighth multi-hit game of the year, tying for the team lead. In his last three games, Kjerstad is 7-for-11, .636, at the plate with five RBIs, three home runs, and only one strikeout.

Koch hit his fifth home run of the season in the fourth inning to avoid the shutout, a tworun shot for his only hit of the game and sixth multi-RBI game.

Arkansas utilized three more pitchers in relief of Campbell on Saturday as freshman Caleb Bolden gave up three runs in one inning, followed by sophomore Jacob Kostyshock, who played the long game, went 3 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs and striking out two. Freshman Zebulon Vermillion, who had only given up one earned run in his last 2 2/3 innings, pitched the final 2 1/3 innings of the game, allowing just one earned run and striking out a season-high four batters.

Florida starting pitcher Jackson Kowar (4-1) threw six innings and struck out six, while only allowing the two Arkansas runs.

The rubber match is set for today at 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network (Resort Channel 79). Lefthander Kacey Murphy (3-0) will take the mound for the Razorbacks against Florida righthander Tyler Dyson (4-1).