ARKANSANS IN THE MINORS

Who's hot

BRETT EIBNER (AAA Royals) saw his batting average rise from .293 to .318 over his past 7 games. In 25 at-bats, Eibner scored 6 runs on 10 hits, including a double and 3 home runs, with 9 RBI.

HUNTER WOOD (High-A Rays) picked up a victory Tuesday over Palm Beach (High-A Cardinals). He did not allow a run and gave up just 1 hit with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings in the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs' 6-2 victory.

Who's not

JONATHAN DAVIS (High-A Blue Jays) saw his batting average dip from .273 to .252 over his past 5 games. He scored just 1 run on 3 hits with 1 stolen base.

BRAD ALLEN (High-A Blue Jays) took his first loss of the season Wednesday in Dunedin's 9-7 loss to Clearwater (High-A Phillies). Allen allowed 9 earned runs on 9 hits with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

News and notes

• Former Arkansas Razorbacks outfielder Brett Eibner (AAA Royals) hit three home runs Thursday, including two in a 10-run fifth inning as the Omaha Storm Chasers beat the Memphis Redbirds (AAA Cardinals) 15-5 at Werner Park in Papillion, Neb. Eibner became the 21st player in Pacific Coast League history to hit two home runs in the same inning and was the first to do it since Koby Clemens did it for Oklahoma City on April 26, 2011. The last time an Omaha player hit two home runs in an inning was on Aug. 30, 2010, when current Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas did it in the final season at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The historic night, however, began with a double-play grounder to third base in the first inning that killed an Omaha rally.

"I was kind of really mad at myself," Eibner told Alex Kraft of milb.com. "I knew it as soon as I swung at it. It was really bothering me in the outfield [in the next inning], killing that rally we had in the first. Because [Memphis starter J.C. Sulbaran] was really struggling to find it and I didn't do anything but help him out. I made sure that I locked it in right after that."

Eibner, 27, hit a home run to right field in the third inning, then hit the first of two home runs in the fifth to left, which was the result of a lesson he learned in that first inning at-bat.

"He was throwing me a lot of changeups and finally I got one that I could handle and hit that out to left," Eibner said. "I stayed in tight instead of rolling it over like I did my first at-bat."

Omaha chased Sulbaran during the fifth inning, but reliever Justin Wright didn't fare much better. He threw a two-out fastball on the outer half of the plate and Eibner hit it for his third home run of the game.

"I hit a hard line drive and I didn't know it was going to carry enough. I knew it was over [right fielder David Washington's] head, but I didn't know it was going to clear the wall. It ended up skipping off the top of the wall and out," Eibner said.

Omaha's 10-run fifth inning was the single biggest inning for a Pacific Coast League team this season.

"It was a fun night," Eibner said. "It's something that we needed. I wouldn't say we were scuffling, but we hadn't been putting together those big innings like we had earlier in the year."

• Pitcher Daniel Wright (Arkansas State), who was assigned to the Cincinnati Reds' rookie-league team in Billings, Mont., last week, was reassigned to Class AAA Louisville on Tuesday and started for the Bats in a 4-3 victory Tuesday night over the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA Tigers). Wright gave up 2 earned runs on 4 hits with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts over 5 innings and got a no-decision. He had gone 2-0 this season for Class AA Pensacola, Fla., with an 0.45 ERA in 8 appearances. Ryan Ritchey, Louisville's director of media relations, said he was not told officially why Wright was promoted, but did note the team had been in need of pitching. He said Wright's start Tuesday night was scheduled last week, so the temporary move to the rookie-team roster may have allowed Pensacola flexibility in making a corresponding roster move.

• Pitcher Chandler Hawkins (Arkansas State) was promoted to High-A Palm Beach, Fla., from Class A Peoria, Ill., on May 9. Hawkins had an 0-0 record with a 2.38 ERA in 8 appearances for Peoria. He allowed 3 earned runs on 10 hits over 11 1/3 innings with 3 walks and 14 strikeouts. Opponents were batting .238 against him. Hawkins has made 2 appearances for Palm Beach through Thursday and has a 9.82 ERA. He's allowed 4 earned runs on 4 hits over 3 2/3 innings with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.

• Pitcher Mike Bolsinger (Arkansas Razorbacks) has begun a rehab assignment with the Oklahoma City Dodgers (AAA Dodgers). He was put on the disabled list April 13, retroactive to March 25, with a left oblique strain. Bolsinger has made 2 appearances, going 4 innings in a 4-3 victory over Colorado Springs (AAA Brewers) on May 7 and another 4 innings in a 5-4 victory over Round Rock (AAA Rangers) on Thursday. He's allowed 2 earned runs on 6 hits with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts, and batters are hitting .222 against him.

Around the horn

• Pitcher Trey Killian (Arkansas Razorbacks/Mountain Home) continues to turn his season around for the Asheville (N.C.) Tourists (A Rockies). He's won each of his past three starts with an ERA of 1.00. He earned a victory May 9 over the Delmarva Shorebirds (A Orioles), in which he allowed 2 earned runs on 4 hits over 6 innings with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. Killian is scheduled to start for the Tourists today against the Columbia (S.C.) Fireflies (A Mets). ... Outfielder Collin Radack (Hendrix) continues to struggle for the Springfield Cardinals (AA Cardinals), going 4 for 27 with 9 strikeouts in his past 10 games through Thursday. ... Shortstop Matt Reynolds (Arkansas Razorbacks) is also struggling for the Las Vegas 51s (AAA Mets), going 5 for 40 with 15 strikeouts in his past 10 games. ... Pitcher Mark Reyes (Jessieville) took his first loss of the season May 8 for the San Jose Giants (High-A Giants) in a 5-4 loss to the Visalia (Calif.) Rawhide (High-A Diamondbacks). He allowed 3 earned runs on 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings with 2 walks and 1 strikeout. ... Pitcher Nolan Sanburn (Arkansas Razorbacks) took his first loss of the season Tuesday for the Birmingham Barons (AA White Sox) in a 3-2 loss to the Jackson (Miss.) Generals (AA Mariners). He allowed the winning run on 2 hits with 2 strikeouts in 2 innings. ... Pitcher Ryne Stanek (Razorbacks) got his first victory of the season May 7 for the Montgomery Biscuits (AA Rays) in an 8-7 victory over Birmingham. He allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits over 6 innings with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts.

-- Todd J. Pearce

Sports on 05/15/2016

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