FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas couldn't have asked for a better way to open the 2017 season.
The Razorbacks scored six runs in the first inning and beat Miami (Ohio) 7-0 Friday in the season opener Friday at Baum Stadium. Arkansas snapped a 13-game losing streak that dated to last season.
"We've been waiting about eight months to look across the field and see another team," Arkansas outfielder Eric Cole said. "So that's all our hard work, waiting to finish a 13-game losing streak right there."
Arkansas batted around in the first inning against Miami starter Cole Gnetz, who recorded only two outs before being replaced. Gnetz faced 11 batters and allowed five hits, three walks and hit two batters.
Luke Bonfield, Dominic Fletcher, Chad Spanberger and Eric Cole all had RBI hits in the inning. Fletcher was the first of seven consecutive two-out runners in the inning. The rally ended when Bonfield flied out with the bases loaded against relief pitcher Brad Schwartz.
Schwartz shut down the Razorbacks in five innings of scoreless relief. The right-hander retired the first nine batters he faced and gave up one hit.
"He got a lot of strikeouts and fly balls,"Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "He got some quick innings and actually gave them an opportunity get back in the ballgame but our pitchers didn’t let them."
The Razorbacks' only other run came in the seventh inning when Fletcher homered off Andy Almquist to increase the lead to 7-0.
"It was 2-0 and I looked over at Coach Van Horn and he gave me the sign to swing away," Fletcher said. "The pitch couldn't have been any better. I took a good swing and was trying to hit the ball hard and a good thing happened."
Fletcher finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBI in his college debut, and was robbed of a third hit when Miami center fielder Steve Sada made a diving catch to end the fourth inning.
Cole and Bonfield also added two hits for the Razorbacks.
Three Arkansas pitchers combined to shut-out the Redhawks. Blaine Knight earned the win with a four-inning start that ended because of a pitch count. Jake Reindl added three innings of relief and Cannon Chadwick pitched two innings.
The Razorbacks' pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts and didn't walk any batters.
"I didn’t expect a shutout on opening day," Van Horn said. "Usually something will happen on defense and you get a breakdown here or there. I thought our pitchers did a great job throwing a lot of strikes."
The teams are scheduled to play again Saturday at noon.