FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas took a while to get the bats going Friday at Baum Stadium, but left little doubt when they finally heated up.
Clark Eagan's two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Razorbacks the lead and sparked a late-inning surge in a 11-4 win over North Dakota. Arkansas won its 22nd consecutive season opener.
Game Sketch
Line: Arkansas 11-18-0; North Dakota 4-7-4
Records: Arkansas 1-0; North Dakota 0-1
WP: Cannon Chadwick (1-0)
LP: Andrew Thome (0-1)
Turning Point: Arkansas first baseman Clark Eagan hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Razorbacks a 5-4 lead.
Attendance: 3,785
Eagan had three hits and finished a home run short of the cycle for the Razorbacks. The sophomore first baseman also finished with three RBIs.
Arkansas overcame a three-run deficit after North Dakota roughed up starter James Teague in the third inning. Teague issued two walks and hit a batter in the inning, and finished after 2 1/3 innings on the mound.
The Razorbacks made up two of the runs in the bottom of the third. Eagan's RBI double scored Tucker Pennell and Eagan scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Benintendi.
Arkansas tied the game on Tyler Spoon's fifth inning single, but North Dakota regained the lead 4-3 when Zach Heaser doubled with two outs in the top of the sixth.
Heaser's hit came off reliever Keaton McKinney, who pitched 3 1/3 innings in his first college game. Sophomore Cannon Chadwick recorded the final out of the sixth inning and struck out the side in the seventh to earn the win in his first career appearance for the Razorbacks.
Freshman Jonah Patten pitched the final two innings for Arkansas, striking out five batters. North Dakota starter Andrew Thome allowed six runs and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Ten different Razorbacks recorded at least one hit in the win. Eagan, Brett McAfee and Rick Nomura each had three hits, and Arkansas had 18 hits as a team.
The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 11:35 a.m. Saturday at Baum Stadium. The second game will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.