SEC BASEBALL

Arkansas clinches another SEC series

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn watches his team from the dugout during the Stephen F. Austin game Wednesday, April 15, 2015, at Baum Stadium.
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn watches his team from the dugout during the Stephen F. Austin game Wednesday, April 15, 2015, at Baum Stadium.

HOOVER, Ala. -- It was a grind, but Arkansas found a way to capture an 8-4 victory over Alabama on Friday night to clinch its three-game SEC baseball series at the Hoover Met.

Arkansas, which is ranked as high as 23rd in the country, earned its sixth consecutive SEC series victory by winning the first two games of the series. It also marked the Razorbacks' 14th victory in the past 18 games.

Today’s game

NO. 23 ARKANSAS AT ALABAMA

WHEN Noon Central

WHERE Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Hoover, Ala.

RECORDS Arkansas 28-18, 13-10 SEC. Alabama 23-23, 8-15

RADIO Razorbacks Sports Network. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.

TELEVISION ESPN2

PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas: Keaton McKinney (RHP, 3-1, 3.56 ERA). Alabama: Geoffrey Bramblett (RHP, 6-2, 4.18 ERA)

SPORT HOPS Arkansas clinched its sixth consecutive SEC series with its victory Friday night. The last time Arkansas won six consecutive conference series came in 2004, when the Razorbacks advanced to the College World Series.

THE WEEK AHEAD

TODAY at Alabama, noon

SUNDAY off MONDAY off

TUESDAY off

WEDNESDAY off

THURSDAY off

FRIDAY Tennessee, 6:35 p.m.

"Tonight's game is the way we won a lot the last month or so," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "Maybe fall behind a run or two, didn't give up that real big inning and kind of hung around."

The Razorbacks' big inning Friday -- a five-run fifth -- included just three hits, but two of them came in timely fashion. The big inning erased a 2-1 deficit and ultimately was the difference in the game. Left fielder Joe Serrano's double with the bases loaded brought home two runs, and two more scored on a single by Tyler Spoon.

"I think our offense struggled early in the game," said Serrano, who had two hits and three RBI. "It was tough to see and [Alabama starter Jake Walters] had a good cutter. I can't say we started seeing the ball better late in the game, but it just seemed like we were taking better swings."

The Razorbacks (28-18, 13-10 SEC) managed seven hits overall with three coming in the ninth inning. Arkansas scored twice in the inning -- on a double by Carson Shaddy and RBI singles by Serrano and Andrew Benitendi -- to add a pair of insurance runs to what was a 6-4 lead going into the final inning.

Three Arkansas pitchers -- starter Dominic Taccolini and relievers Jackson Lowery and James Teague -- were far from dominant, but each did a good job of keeping the Crimson Tide away from big innings.

Taccolini allowed both of his runs in the third inning but also struck out the final two batters of the inning to leave the bases loaded. Teague replaced Lowery with runners on the corners in the seventh inning and picked off Alabama right fielder Casey Hughston to end the inning.

Teague got into trouble in the eighth inning as the Crimson Tide (23-23, 8-15) loaded the bases with nobody out, but Teague slowed the rally with a strikeout and short fly ball. Alabama freshman Chandler Avant managed a RBI single, but Teague worked out of the jam with a flyout to Benitendi in center.

"The eighth inning could have been a disaster for us," Van Horn said. "I thought that was huge for us."

The Crimson Tide managed 12 hits but stranded 12 runners and struck out 12 times. In 2 games, Arkansas pitchers have struck out 26 batters and stranded 22 runners.

"I think it shows how big of competitors our pitchers have been over the last month, two months," Serrano said. "It seems like leaps and bounds from where our entire team was early in the season. Now it seems like we're closer than ever before. As a team, we can't be broken up and that team chemistry is showing up on the field."

Arkansas goes for the series sweep at noon today.

Sports on 05/02/2015

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