SEC BASEBALL

Hogs take series, miss opportunity

Zach Jackson of Arkansas delivers against Central Michigan Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, during the eighth inning at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Zach Jackson of Arkansas delivers against Central Michigan Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, during the eighth inning at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

Arkansas 2-4, Kentucky 0-5

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Arkansas arrived in Kentucky struggling during SEC play.

The Razorbacks returned home with a series victory but also a case of the what-could-have-beens.

Zach Jackson's complete-game two-hitter clinched the series victory for Arkansas 2-0 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, but Kentucky rallied with two outs in the seventh inning to take a 5-4 decision in the second game at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Both games were seven innings after Thursday's rainout.

"I think initially there's some frustration among the guys because we let that last one get away," Jackson said. "But we got a series win, and once everyone realizes that, we'll be in a better mood."

The Razorbacks (24-16, 6-12 SEC) had lost eight consecutive conference games before winning 1-0 in 10 innings Friday night against the Wildcats (24-15, 10-8).

Jackson's adjustment to the weekend rotation has him searching for consistency after transitioning from the closer role.

"You have to get used to having a whole week to prepare compared to being a reliever where I have to be ready," he said.

Saturday was his first career shutout and longest outing of 106 pitches in his third SEC start. He took losses in his previous two starts against Ole Miss and Florida.

"I have to keep building on [today's outing] and my stamina," Jackson said. "If I do that, we'll be in pretty good shape moving forward."

Jackson (3-4) allowed 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8.

"His thing is wiggling out," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "He got into a little bit of trouble in the [seventh inning], but he fought out of it."

Kentucky's Riley Mahan hit a one-out double in the seventh, and Jackson fell behind 3-0 to JaVon Shelby before striking him out. Walks to Tyler Marshall and Dorian Hairston loaded the bases, but Jackson retired Tristan Pompey to end the game.

Arkansas' Carson Shaddy provided the day's first hit in the fourth inning when he singled, then advanced to second on an error by Hairston in right field. Luke Bonfield put Arkansas ahead with a double down the left field line, and he scored by moving to third on Michael Bernal's ground out and scoring on Chad Spanberger's grounder.

Those were the game's only runs as Jackson and UK starter Dustin Beggs both went the distance. Beggs allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits with 1 walk and 1 strikeout.

In the second game, three Arkansas' pitchers stranded eight Wildcats in the first six innings but couldn't get the final out in the seventh to complete a sweep.

Closer Doug Willey -- who came on with two on and two out in the sixth to strikeout Zach Reks and protect the Razorbacks' 4-3 lead -- yielded a leadoff single to Kentucky's Gunnar McNeill to start the seventh.

"We left a fastball out over the plate and a guy singles on it, and that was our first mistake," Van Horn said.

Willey (1-2) compounded the mistake by walking Mahan, which prompted Van Horn to lift him for Josh Alberius.

Alberius struck out Shelby, who fouled out attempting a sacrifice bunt. Marshall's deep flyout put runners at the corners with two outs.

Hairston chopped the ball softly up the middle. Arkansas second baseman Rick Nomura gloved the ball, but he lost a race to second base for a force out as Kentucky tied the game 4-4.

"There was no other play," Van Horn said. "The ball was chopped, and there was no way to get [Hairston out] at first."

In the next at-bat, UK catcher Troy Squires lined a ball into the right-center field gap to score Mahan and hand the Wildcats the victory.

"We had an opportunity there and let it go," Van Horn said.

Arkansas grabbed a 2-0 lead three batters into the game as Clark Eagan led off with an infield single and scored on an RBI double by Shaddy, who advanced to third base as UK mishandled the ball in the outfield. Shaddy scored on an RBI groundout by Bonfield, and the Hogs led 2-0.

The Razorbacks led 3-1 entering the bottom of the fourth, but starting pitcher Keaton McKinney walked Marshall ahead of Hairston's two-run home run to center field. That ended McKinney's day with 3 earned runs on 4 hits, 3 walks and 2 strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

Eagan answered with his third home run of the season in the top of the fifth, and right-hander Blaine Knight pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to get the ball to Willey in the sixth.

"We took a step forward [this weekend]," Van Horn said. "But they're all difficult."

Sports on 04/24/2016

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