SEC Baseball

Georgia tags Arkansas with fourth straight loss

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/JASON IVESTER --04/06/12 -- Arkansas' Jake Wise is tagged out by Georgia shortstop Kyle Farmer at second at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville on Friday, April 6, 2012.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/JASON IVESTER --04/06/12 -- Arkansas' Jake Wise is tagged out by Georgia shortstop Kyle Farmer at second at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville on Friday, April 6, 2012.

— Arkansas continued its recent struggles at the plate and the No. 13 Razorbacks lost their fourth straight game, 4-2 in Friday night's series opener against Georgia at Baum Stadium.

With DJ Baxendale struggling this season in conference play, Ryne Stanek got the Friday night starting nod for the Razorbacks, but had an unusually rough outing.

After Georgia scored on a wild pitch to tie the game in the top of the fifth, Arkansas regained command when Matt Reynolds doubled to score Tim Carver. Jacob Mahan was thrown out at the plate on the play to end the inning.

The Bulldogs (19-11, 5-5 SEC) took the lead for good in the sixth, scoring three times off Stanek, who lost his first game of the season.

""He had some really good innings," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "He had one bad inning where he made just a couple bad mistakes.

"We had just scored a run and that was the 'get us back in the dugout' inning and it didn't happen. They punch in three, take the lead and their pitcher came out and got right after us and put us right back into the dugout. We knew we were in for a battle right there."

The Razorbacks (22-7, 5-4) could not handle the test that Georgia starter Alex Wood (4-1) presented. Wood threw a complete game, recording the first Friday night win by an opposing pitcher at Baum Stadium this year.

"Alex Wood was outstanding," Van Horn said. "He basically just threw fastballs but threw where wanted. He kept it away and then he'd bust us in and he got the calls inside. If he's getting the calls in then you have to do what you have to do. It's tough.

"He threw good change, too . When you can throw 93, 94 or 95 - I'm not entirely sure where he's at - and then you can throw a nice change-up, it makes for a long night."

Wood, a sophomore left-hander struck out 11 batters and scattered seven hits.

"He pitched similar to last year," said Arkansas first baseman Dominic Ficociello who recorded two hits and scored one of the Razorbacks' two runs in the game. "He's gotten better, but we hit plenty of balls on the screws, just right at guys. Other times we didn't have very good at-bats.

"He had probably the game of his life tonight and he should be proud of it."

Barrett Astin will start his second game of the season for the Razorbacks in Saturday's 2:05 p.m. match-up with the Bulldogs.

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