Diamond Hogs more consistent on Day 2

Arkansas catcher Grant Koch connects for a 2-run double against Miami (Ohio) Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, during the third inning at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas catcher Grant Koch connects for a 2-run double against Miami (Ohio) Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, during the third inning at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

— Arkansas’ offense scored fewer runs in its second game of the season than it did in its first game, but the Razorbacks showed better consistency at the plate in Saturday’s 5-1 win over Miami (Ohio) at Baum Stadium.

Arkansas (2-0) won the best-of-three series and will attempt for a sweep Sunday at 1 p.m.

After struggling to put runners on base following a six-run first inning Friday, the Razorbacks had a runner in six of eight innings Saturday. Arkansas recorded 10 hits, walked three times and reached on a fielding error.

“Probably the good thing was that we put together a few innings where we scored runs,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “Yesterday was really just a couple of innings.”

The Razorbacks (2-0) scored in the first inning for the second consecutive day when Dominic Fletcher hit a two-out single to plate Eric Cole and give Arkansas a 1-0 lead.

The Razorbacks built on the lead in the third. Grant Koch’s two-run double with one out scored Jake Arledge and Luke Bonfield, and Koch scored on a two-out single by Carson Shaddy to give the Razorbacks a 4-0 lead.

“That was the big hit of the game,” Van Horn said of Koch’s double. “…He did a nice job of staying through the ball and hitting it on the right side of the second base bag. The center fielder was playing a little more from left-center and he hustled all the way in and got him a double and two RBIs.

“He’s swinging the bat pretty good. That was a big hit.”

Hitting cleanup, Koch had gone hitless in his first five plate appearances before his double. But he had hit two pitches hard, including one in the first inning Saturday that was caught in deep center field.

“I’ve been seeing it well all weekend,” Koch said. “(On the double) I was looking for something to hit a little deeper there. I got the pitch to do it and put a good swing on it.”

Miami (0-2) cut the lead to 4-1 when Ross Haffey hit a leadoff home run in the top of the fourth inning. The hit came off Arkansas starter Trevor Stephan, who allowed three hits and struck-out five in his first appearance after transferring from junior college.

Stephan gave up a leadoff single in the first and second innings, but stranded runners both times. At one point he struck-out four consecutive batters with the breaking ball serving as his out pitch.

“I started to get a better feel for my breaking ball,” Stephan said. “My command was good during that stretch.

“I felt like I didn’t have my best stuff coming out but I had to deal with it and find a way to get outs.”

Prior to the home run the Razorbacks’ pitching staff had thrown 12 scoreless innings to start the season. Arkansas pitchers didn’t allow a walk Friday and only had one Saturday when reliever Dominic Taccolini issued one in the seventh inning.

Taccolini, Weston Rogers and Cody Scroggins combined to throw five innings of scoreless relief Saturday, bringing the bullpen’s total to 10 scoreless innings through two games. The Razorbacks recorded 11 strikeouts Saturday and have 23 through two games under first-year pitching coach Wes Johnson.

“One thing Coach Johnson preaches is to be confident in your stuff and throw pitches with intent,” Taccolini said. “He kind of just wants you to be confident in your stuff and to allow your stuff to work, and throw it around the plate because if you throw with good intent you’re already halfway through with the battle.”

Arkansas took a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Chad Spanberger singled to start the half-inning and scored on Arledge’s fielder’s choice.

All five of the Razorbacks’ runs came against Miami starter Zach Spears, including one that was unearned. Spears allowed six hits, struck out three and walked one in three-plus innings. Redhawks reliever Nick Ernst didn’t allow a hit or a walk in 2 2/3 innings to close the game.

Short Hops

Arkansas tinkered with the lineup Saturday, starting Chad Spanberger at third base and freshman Jordan McFarland at first. Spanberger had started at first base Friday, but Van Horn said the move was made to get McFarland, a right-handed hitter, in the lineup against the Redhawks’ left-handed starting pitcher. McFarland finished 0-for-4….Miami designated hitter Tyler Harris, a graduate of Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, went 1-for-4….Umpire Scott Kennedy worked third base Saturday. Kennedy was the home plate umpire who had to leave Friday’s game in the fifth inning after getting hit by a foul ball.

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