Hogs assume role of streak busters

Arkansas left fielder Luke Bonfield (17) is congratulated at the plate by third baseman Carson Shaddy Friday, March 17, 2017, after hitting a 2-run home run scoring Chad Spanberger during the first inning against Mississippi State at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas left fielder Luke Bonfield (17) is congratulated at the plate by third baseman Carson Shaddy Friday, March 17, 2017, after hitting a 2-run home run scoring Chad Spanberger during the first inning against Mississippi State at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville baseball team ended Tanner Houck’s scoreless innings streak in fairly innocuous fashion Friday.

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A 1-1 pitch from the Missouri ace with the bases loaded and two outs in the second inning grazed Jake Arledge. It was the first run allowed by Houck — who is projected to be a top-10 pick in this summer’s major league first-year player draft — since the first inning of his March 3 start against Illinois-Chicago, a span of 22 2/3 innings.

Arkansas kept the runs coming.

The Razorbacks scored five off Houck during the second en route to a 9-2 victory at Taylor Stadium.

“We were pretty consistent all the way through,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “We didn’t make too many mistakes in the field, and, offensively, we did a great job getting some good two-out hits.”

Eight of Arkansas’ runs were scored with two outs.

The Razorbacks (19-4, 4-0 SEC) extended their winning streak to seven and snapped No. 20 Missouri’s national-best winning streak at 20.

Friday’s game time was moved up to noon from 6:30 p.m. to try to get the game in ahead of storms, but the thunderclouds rolled in during the top of the fourth and delayed the game for 2 hours, 11 minutes. The three-game series is scheduled to continue at 2 p.m. today, although rain is again in the forecast.

The weather delay ended Houck’s day, but not before Arkansas touched up the junior right-hander for 5 runs — 3 earned — and 5 hits. Before Friday, Houck had not allowed an earned run since Feb. 23.

Chad Spanberger followed Arledge’s free pass by dropping a two-run single into right field. Luke Bonfield then sent a groundball with funky spin toward Missouri shortstop Chris Cornelius, who couldn’t handle it, allowing another run to score. Grant Koch capped the second-inning outburst with an RBI double down the left-field line. Bonfield was thrown out at home trying to score from first, but the Razorbacks were up 5-0.

“We felt like [Houck] was a lot better from the windup than the stretch, and that’s exactly what happened there in that second inning,” Van Horn said.

The weather delay didn’t end Arkansas starter Blaine Knight’s day. He scattered 5 hits and 2 runs across 6 innings to earn the victory.

“I liked having the challenge of having to come back after a [long] delay and come back and still throw strikes,” Knight said. “I enjoyed it. I would do it again.”

Brian Sharp hit a two-out RBI double off Knight to get Missouri on the board in the fourth, and Robbie Glendinning added a solo home run in the fifth.

Knight (3-1) allowed at least one batter to reach in every inning before finishing in strong fashion by retiring the side in order in the sixth. He struck out seven and walked one.

“Blaine had to go through some tough hitters,” Van Horn said. “They’ve got a tough lineup. Pretty much 1 through 9 swing it well, and a good mix of right- and left-handed hitters. He mixed and matched and gave us an opportunity to grab that lead and hold that lead.”

Dominic Taccolini allowed two hits in three innings of relief to collect a save.

Missouri (20-2, 3-1) was one victory away from matching its program-best winning streak of 21 games set in 1964. The Tigers had not lost since a 6-2 setback to Eastern Michigan in their Feb. 17 season opener.

Spanberger, Bonfield, Koch, Dominic Fletcher, Carson Shaddy and Jax Biggers each had two hits for Arkansas, with Spanberger driving in three runs.

SUN BELT

UALR 5, LA.-MONROE 1

Hunter Owens went 2 for 4 with 4 RBI and 1 run scored to lead the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (9-13, 2-2 Sun Belt Conference) to a series-opening victory over the University of Louisiana at Monroe (6-18, 1-3 Sun Belt) on Friday at Warhawk Field in Monroe, La. Owens hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning that gave the Trojans a 3-0 lead, then added a two-run double in the eighth inning for a 5-1 lead. Riley Pittman hit a first-inninng home run to left.

COASTAL CAROLINA 5,

ARKANSAS STATE 0

Coastal Carolina University (13-9, 2-2 Sun Belt) broke open Friday’s game with four runs in the seventh inning, while holding Arkansas State University to one hit at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.

All four Chanticleers runs in the seventh inning came with two outs. Matt Beaird hit a two-run home run to right field and Peyton Isaacson added a tworun double later in the inning. Kieton Rivers reached on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning, allowing Seth Lancaster to score for a 5-0 lead.

Tobias Johnson collected ASU’s only hit, an infield single to put runners on first and second with one out. But a strikeout and a fly out ended the threat for ASU (11-10, 2-2 Sun Belt).

SOUTHLAND

CENTRAL ARKANSAS 6,

NEW ORLEANS 5

The University of Central Arkansas scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday to beat the University of New Orleans at Bear Stadium in Conway.

Brooks Balisterri led off the ninth for the Bears (11-13, 2-5 Southland Conference) with a single to center field and Josh Somdecerff followed with a base hit through the right side. Pinch hitter Justin McCarty drew a walk to load the bases, then left the game for pinch runner Paul Rouse.

Jarred Taylor came on for the Privateers (13-10, 3-4 Southland) to relieve John Michael Stephens and promptly gave up a bases-clearing triple to Keaton Presley to tie the game at 5-5. After a strikeout, Taylor intentionally walked both Hunter Strong and Rigo Aguilar to load the bases again with one out and set up a potential double play.

On a 1-1 count, William Hancock hit a slow ground ball that was fielded by New Orleans second baseman Samual Capielona. In his attempt to start a double play, Capielona threw wide of second base, pulling shortstop Aaron Palmer off the bag and allowing Presley to score the game-winning run.

Strong was 3 for 4 to lead UCA, while Presley was 2 for 5 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. Brandon Hagerla (3-3) picked up the victory on the mound with 3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 3 hits with 3 strikeouts.

SWAC

UAPB 13,

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 10

A grand slam by Jerimiah Figueroa in the seventh inning gave the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff the lead for good Friday in a victory over Prairie View A&M in Prairie View, Texas.

Bradly Lopez singled to center field to begin the inning for UAPB (5-15, 4-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference), and he advanced to second on Jordan Knox’s ground out. Jaquese Moore drew a four-pitch walk, which led Prairie View to make a pitching change. Sergio Esparza flied out, but Dontrell Brown walked on five pitches to load the bases for Figueroa, who hit a 2-2 pitch to left-center field.

Lopez was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored for UAPB, while Perez and Knox were both 2 for 5 and Brown was 1 for 2 with 2 runs scored. Nathan Sawrie (2-2) earned the victory for the Golden Lions after allowing 7 runs — 6 earned — on 5 hits with 5 walks and 3 strikeouts over 5 innings. C.J. Lewington earned his first save of the season after allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts in 3 innings of relief.

Sports on 03/25/2017

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