Nine-Run Inning Propels Hogs to Series Sweep
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 8 Arkansas (13-2) used a nine-run third inning to bury Louisiana Tech (8-7) early and never looked back, completing the weekend series sweep with a 15-6 win on Sunday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks, winners of eight straight games, have won 26 consecutive non-conference home weekend series dating back to the 2014 season. Arkansas’ three-game series sweep was its second in as many weekends.
Louisiana Tech took advantage of an error and jumped out to a three-run lead in the top half of the second, but the Bulldogs’ hot start would quickly cool off. Arkansas scored a run on an error in the bottom of the second before breaking through for nine runs in the third to open a commanding 10-3 lead.
Jared Wegner and Kendall Diggs each hit two-run homers during the offensive onslaught in the third. Wegner’s homer was his team-leading seventh of the year, while Diggs’ blast was his second in as many games and sixth of the season.
Five consecutive walks resulted in three runs before Brady Slavens drove home two more with a single to center. The nine-run third inning gave Razorback starter Hunter Hollan all the support he needed to finish his outing strong.
Hollan twirled five innings of two-hit ball, allowing three runs (one earned) while striking out a season-high seven. The left-hander improved to 3-0 in the win, lowering his season ERA to 2.18 over 20 2/3 innings on the year.
Offensively, four Razorbacks finished with multiple hits and five carded multiple RBI in the win. Wegner, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, drew five walks to match a single-game school record held by Jake Dugger (vs. Alabama, 2006) and Jim Kremers (vs. Northwest Missouri State, 1985).
Tavian Josenberger extended his team-leading hit streak to eight games, racking up a pair of base knocks, including a double, and an RBI with two runs scored and three walks. Peyton Stovall’s seven-game hit streak came to an end in Sunday’s win, but the Razorback captain still managed to drive in three runs.
Jace Bohrofen, meanwhile, continued to rake, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a walk. He raised his season slash line to a team-leading .447/.578/.872 in Sunday’s win and now has 15 runs batted in through the Hogs’ first 15 games.
In relief of Hollan, right-handers Cody Adcock (2.0 IP), Gage Wood (1.0) and Christian Foutch (1.0) closed out the final four frames. Wood, a native of Batesville, Ark., struck out three of the four batters he faced, while Foutch, who was making his collegiate debut, logged a strikeout in his scoreless inning of work.
Arkansas’ final tune-up before SEC play comes against UNLV. The Hogs will host the Rebels in a two-game midweek series, which gets underway at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, at Baum-Walker Stadium.
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