Spring Break
Diamond Hogs lose series, composure in Sunday collapse
Matt Watson
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Sports
After a cold Friday night loss, Arkansas rebounded Saturday to win a close game and was cruising Sunday with a series victory over Auburn well in-hand before a late-inning meltdown.
The Razorbacks had led the entire game and took a six-run lead into the eighth inning when a well-pitched, well-fielded game began to unravel.
"It just came down to making plays," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. "We had to make a play and we didn't make it. They got another at-bat, and then another at-bat."
After Dallas Keuchel and Kendall Korbal allowed a combined two runs on five hits through the first seven innings, Arkansas relievers gave up 10 runs, eight earned, in the final three innings.
The Razorback defense added two errors and a past ball in the eighth and ninth innings.
Coach Van Horn was ejected from the game in the ninth inning following a disputed check-swing call.
The frustration continued after the game, when Van Horn had to call off his players following a shouting match between several Razorback players and some unruly fans in the outfield.
"That's just typical. It's just people that have probably been out there way too long, obviously," Van Horn said.
The 12-10 loss in Sunday's 10 inning game was the Hogs' fifth loss by one or two runs this season, and their second extra-innings defeat in the last two and a half weeks.
"We just have to get through it. That's a big flip in the standings," Van Horn said.
Arkansas fell to 17-13 overall and 3-8 in the Southeastern Conference, 2.5 games out of first place in the Western division and the second-worst record in the conference.
Third basemen Logan Forsythe said the team needs to build confidence and get healthy to get things going in the right direction.
"We're pretty bad right now. We can't really go much further down," Forsythe said.
Arkansas got on top early with a three-run, four-hit first inning and hit a pair of two-run home runs in the left-field bullpen in the third inning, off the bats of Tim Smalling and Brett Eibner.
The defense was sharp in the first half of the game, with Eibner laying out for a diving catch in the third inning to end the inning with runners on base. Chase Leavitt made a catch in foul territory running into the wall in the fourth, and the Hogs recorded inning-ending double plays in the seventh and eighth innings with runners on base to preserve the lead.
Arkansas won 5-4 Saturday in Justin Wells' first start of the season. Wells pitched into the eighth inning before Stephen Richards took over for a six-out save, allowing two hits and striking out four for a one-run win.
The Tigers won 5-2 Friday by getting to Cliff Springston for five runs, four earned, and holding the Hogs scoreless after the second inning.
Arkansas has lost all three SEC series this season. The Hogs will try to get things turned around with a weekend trip to Florida.
The Razorbacks had led the entire game and took a six-run lead into the eighth inning when a well-pitched, well-fielded game began to unravel.
"It just came down to making plays," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. "We had to make a play and we didn't make it. They got another at-bat, and then another at-bat."
After Dallas Keuchel and Kendall Korbal allowed a combined two runs on five hits through the first seven innings, Arkansas relievers gave up 10 runs, eight earned, in the final three innings.
The Razorback defense added two errors and a past ball in the eighth and ninth innings.
Coach Van Horn was ejected from the game in the ninth inning following a disputed check-swing call.
The frustration continued after the game, when Van Horn had to call off his players following a shouting match between several Razorback players and some unruly fans in the outfield.
"That's just typical. It's just people that have probably been out there way too long, obviously," Van Horn said.
The 12-10 loss in Sunday's 10 inning game was the Hogs' fifth loss by one or two runs this season, and their second extra-innings defeat in the last two and a half weeks.
"We just have to get through it. That's a big flip in the standings," Van Horn said.
Arkansas fell to 17-13 overall and 3-8 in the Southeastern Conference, 2.5 games out of first place in the Western division and the second-worst record in the conference.
Third basemen Logan Forsythe said the team needs to build confidence and get healthy to get things going in the right direction.
"We're pretty bad right now. We can't really go much further down," Forsythe said.
Arkansas got on top early with a three-run, four-hit first inning and hit a pair of two-run home runs in the left-field bullpen in the third inning, off the bats of Tim Smalling and Brett Eibner.
The defense was sharp in the first half of the game, with Eibner laying out for a diving catch in the third inning to end the inning with runners on base. Chase Leavitt made a catch in foul territory running into the wall in the fourth, and the Hogs recorded inning-ending double plays in the seventh and eighth innings with runners on base to preserve the lead.
Arkansas won 5-4 Saturday in Justin Wells' first start of the season. Wells pitched into the eighth inning before Stephen Richards took over for a six-out save, allowing two hits and striking out four for a one-run win.
The Tigers won 5-2 Friday by getting to Cliff Springston for five runs, four earned, and holding the Hogs scoreless after the second inning.
Arkansas has lost all three SEC series this season. The Hogs will try to get things turned around with a weekend trip to Florida.
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