No. 17 Arkansas scalds SCAR
By: Lance Snow
Updated: March 22, 2013
COLUMBIA, S.C.
- The
No. 17 Arkansas baseball team used a nine-run fourth and a five-run
seventh inning to defeat sixth-ranked South Carolina, 15-3, on Friday
night at Carolina Stadium.
With the win, the Razorbacks improve to 15-7 on the season and 2-2 in Southeastern Conference
play, while South Carolina drops to 18-4 and 2-2 in league play.
The
Razorbacks pounded out 15 runs on 13 hits in the victory. The 15 runs
were the most
scored by Arkansas in a SEC game since scoring 17 runs against Kentucky
on April 4, 2010, in a 17-16 win. Arkansas had double-digit hits for the
third straight game and for the fifth time in the last six contests.
Eight
of the nine position starters for the Razorbacks had at least one hit
in the victory,
led by Tyler Spoon, who had three hits and drove in five runs to
increase his season RBI total to 31. Brian Anderson had two hits,
including his first homer of the season, and drove in two runs, while
Jacob Mahan and Joe Serrano also added two hits apiece.
Mahan ran his hitting streak to 10 straight games with his two hits.
Dominic Ficociello, Jacob Morris, Matt Vinson and Jake Wise each had one
hit. Mahan and Morris each had two RBI. Vinson has now hit safely in
seven straight games, while Morris is on a six-game
hitting streak.
South Carolina had six players with one hit each. Connor Bright, LB Dantzler and Grayson
Greiner each had a RBI in the loss.
Arkansas
starter Barrett Astin (2-1) earned the win after allowing three runs on
six
hits and striking out five in 5.1 innings. Brandon Moore and Chris
Oliver combined to throw 3.2 hitless innings out of the bullpen,
striking out four.
South Carolina starter Evan Beal (2-1) took the loss. Beal allowed eight runs on six
hits and struck out six in his 3.2 innings.
After
a quiet first three innings, Arkansas broke the game open with a
nine-run fourth.
The first two runs of the inning scored on back-to-back bases loaded
walks. Morris then drove home a pair with a ground-rule double to the
left-center field alley to make it 4-0. A wild pitch scored the fifth
run of the inning and Spoon drove in his first two
runs of the game with a single to left. Anderson capped the scoring in
the inning with his first home run of the season, a two-run blast over
the wall in left field to make it 9-0.
South
Carolina got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Dantzler and
Greiner
hit back-to-back RBI doubles to trim the lead to 9-2. A RBI single to
right by Bright scored the third run of the inning to cut the lead to
9-3.
Arkansas
responded with five runs in the top of the seventh. With the bases
loaded and
two out, Mahan hit a liner back to the mound that hit off South Carolina
pitcher Joel Seddon and went into left field, scoring a pair of runs.
Spoon then followed later in the inning with his second two-RBI single
of the game and the fifth run of the inning
scored on a fielding error by Dantzler at third base to make the score
14-3.
The
Razorbacks closed the scoring with a run in the top of the eighth
inning. With runners
on the corners and one out, Spoon grounded into a fielder's choice to
second, driving home Mahan from third for Spoon's fifth RBI of the
contest.
Arkansas
and South Carolina continue the series Saturday at 2:15 p.m. The
Razorbacks
will start junior righty Ryne Stanek (1-1, 3.32), while the Gamecocks
will throw senior left hander Nolan Belcher (4-1, 1.25). Saturday's game
will be televised on FSN and will also be available on ESPN3.com.
