FAYETTEVILLE -- No. 22 Missouri State hit a pair of home runs, but it was a small-ball two-run rally in the sixth inning that propelled the Bears to a 5-4 victory over the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks late Saturday in a winner's bracket game at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional.
The Bears (42-17) never trailed after jumping out early on home runs by Hunter Steinmetz and Justin Paulsen against Arkansas starter Blaine Knight (8-5) before a crowd of 10,369 at Baum Stadium.
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (43-18) rallied to tie the game twice against Dylan Coleman but struggled to break through with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. The Razorbacks went 3 for 21 (.143) with runners on base. Arkansas had one extra-base hit among its seven hits but remained the only team at the regional without a home run.
Missouri State, which lost a hotly contested three-game super regional at Baum Stadium against the Razorbacks in 2015, will await the winner of today's 3 p.m. elimination game between Arkansas and Oral Roberts.
Saturday night's game included a touch of controversy in the top of the ninth after leadoff man Chad Spanberger walked against reliever Jake Fromson on four pitches.
On an 0-2 pitch, Arkansas' Luke Bonfield headed to first base after appearing to take a pitch off the fold in his pants leg. Home plate umpire Brandon Cooper disagreed and did not award Bonfield the base, despite the protests of Bonfield and Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn.
Bonfield, who had three singles, was called out on a check swing on the next pitch. Fromson induced a double-play groundball from Dominic Fletcher to close out the game for his third save.
The power-hitting Bears, who increased their home run total to 76, didn't need long to break on top. The leadoff batter Steinmetz hammered Knight's second pitch in the bottom of the first inning over the bullpen wall beyond the right-field fence for his fifth home run and a 1-0 lead.
The Razorbacks put together a rally in the second to tie the game against the 6-6 right-hander Coleman. Jax Biggers reached on a one-out walk, moved up on Jake Arledge's two-out walk and scored when Jack Kenley stroked a single through the right side. Eric Cole followed with a chopper over the mound on which shortstop Jeremy Eierman made a strong play to retire the side.
Missouri State went back on top 3-1 in the third on the first baseman Paulsen's seventh home run, a towering two-run drive to right field after Steinmetz's one-out single.
Knight had allowed two home runs in only one other game this season, a 9-1 loss to Ole Miss on April 27.
The Razorbacks knocked Coleman out in the fifth inning.
Spanberger started the inning with a one-out smash over the mound on which the shortstop Steinmetz was properly positioned but could not make the play on what was ruled a single. The Bears also put on a big shift against right-hander Bonfield, who ripped a groundball up the middle that deflected off the glove of second baseman John Privitera.
Fletcher made the Bears pay with a double just inside the first-base bag to score Spanberger. Coleman's 102nd and last pitch of the night grazed Carson Shaddy's left arm to load the bases. Left-handed reliever Jordan Knutson (8-2) coaxed a dribbler from Biggers about 10 feet in front of the plate, but the pitcher decided to throw to first instead of try for the force out at home, allowing Bonfield to score for a 3-3 tie. Knutson struck out Grant Koch on three pitches to escape the inning.
Catcher Logan Geha drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth, but Knight got out of the inning after a sacrifice bunt by retiring Steinmetz on a fly ball to center and striking out Paulsen.
Knight finished with eight strikeouts, and the Razorbacks pushed their school record total to 580 strikeouts.
Jake Arledge walked to lead off the Arkansas sixth and advanced to third on Kenley's bunt and Cole's groundout. He became the Hogs' eighth stranded runner when Spanberger grounded out to first base.
The Bears chased Knight in the sixth after Eierman's one-out single. Reliever Matt Cronin hit Blake Graham in the helmet with a 95 mph fastball, then walked Alex Jefferson on four pitches to load the bases with one out and bring on Dominic Taccolini.
A passed ball on Taccolini's second pitch allowed Eierman to score the go-ahead run, then Jack Duffy's groundball to shortstop brought home Graham for a 5-3 lead.
Arkansas cut its deficit to one run in the seventh with help from Knutson. Bonfield hit his third consecutive single to open the inning, and Shaddy replaced him at first after a fielder's choice. Shaddy advanced to second and third on wild pitches, then came home after Knutson's third wild pitch of the inning. Knutson struck out Koch to end the rally.
Sports on 06/04/2017