The top-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks won 8-2 on Wednesday afternoon, improving to 29-3 and capping off a midweek sweep of the San Jose State Spartans as they prepare to take on No. 25 Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Friday.
The Razorbacks used five pitchers in game two, who combined to strike out 10 Spartan batsmen while holding them to only two runs as Colin Fisher picked up his sixth win. The Hog offense racked up 14 base hits, including four extra-base hits behind big performances from Peyton Stovall and Jack Wagner.
Here’s a closer look at Wednesday’s action as the Hogs pick up their 23rd straight home win, and 29th win overall.
Scoring Recap
Bottom 2 – Arkansas 2, SJSU 0: Jack Wagner gets a leadoff single up the middle, followed by two more from Ross Lovich & Will Edmunson and a Parker Rowland strike-out. Stovall steps up and hits a sac fly to right to score Wagner, and with two outs Ben McLaughlin slaps a single into right field scoring Lovich for the second run of the inning.
Bottom 5 – Arkansas 4, SJSU 0: Wehiwa Aloy worked a leadoff walk and was moved to third base on a Kendall Diggs single. With those two on the corners, Nolan Souza gets two more RBI with a double into the left-center gap. Jack Wagner gets on base for the second time with a walk, as Lovich comes up and lays down a sac bunt to move Souza and Wagner into scoring position with one out, but that would be all for the Hogs in the fifth.
Top 7 – Arkansas 4, SJSU 2: Matt Spear hit his second home run in as many days, this time a two-run shot off of Parker Coil to cut the Razorback lead in half.
Bottom 7 – Arkansas 8, SJSU 2: Jack Wagner leads off the bottom of the seventh with a 413-foot homer to left-center. Lovich is then hit by a pitch, followed by a Will Edmunson infield single and a Rowland sac bunt to move the runners over. Stovall then scored Lovich with an infield single before Edmunson was brought home on a Ben McLaughlin double. Aloy flew out deep into left to earn a sac-fly and bring in his middle infield buddy from third before the inning was ended by a Diggs groundout.
Gorilla of the Game
Peyton Stovall: 4-4, Sac Fly, 2 RBI, 1 2B
Stovall, who was 2-5 last night in the first game of the two in this midweek stint, backed up that performance with an impressive 4-4 day on Wednesday. The second baseman’s day included two scorching singles, each of which left the bat at 107 mph as well as a double and a bloop RBI single into center, earning him the distinguished honor of Gorilla of the Game.
This is the first time this season that Peyton Stovall has recorded at least three hits. The Haughton, Louisiana, native missed the first month of the season with a broken foot, but since returning has been arguably the Hog’s best hitter. The four-hit day brings his average up to a now team-leading .377, as Stovall has now also reached base at least once in every game he’s played in this season.
Most Valuable Arm
Koty Frank: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 3 K’s, 0 BB, 1 H
Koty Frank made his 13th appearance of the season, throwing two very solid innings which included three strikeouts and no runs allowed. Colin Fisher could have been in contention for the award but struggled to find command in his three-inning effort that earned him the win.
Frank is the more deserving candidate for this game as he held the Spartan offense down completely during the middle innings when the Arkansas bats were struggling. It also helps that he managed to still look very sharp on a cold and rainy day, as he managed to keep his pitch count under 30. Frank’s performance moves his era down to just 2.57 in his 21 innings of work this season, as he joins 11 other Hog pitchers with ERAs under three.
Other Notes & Observations
- Colin Fisher got the start on the mound but struggled to find the strike zone and get ahead of batters. He pitched three innings, recording three strikeouts and three walks on 65 pitches. He did not, however, allow a run which moved his season ERA under two.
- Will Edmunson got the start in center and made the most of it with two outstanding web gems to go along with his two-hit day at the plate.
- The Arkansas crowd gave an acknowledging cheer as coach Calipari’s presidential-like escort drove past the Hog Pen in left field.
- Parker Coil saw action today for the third time in the last week. He threw two innings on Wednesday, earning two strikeouts and two runs on a two-run home run in the seventh.
- Kendall Diggs was back in the lineup after getting a day off on Tuesday and went 1-4 with a walk and a run scored.
- Wehiwa Aloys’s hit streak finally came to an end. The good news is, the on-base streak lives on and is now at 23 straight games as the Sophmore continues to be more diligent at the plate, drawing two walks in game two.
Up Next
The No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks will travel to Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide for another SEC weekend series. Game one will be Friday at 6 p.m. CST and will be streaming on SECN+.