FAYETTEVILLE -- The No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks rallied back from another big early deficit to take a lead over Vanderbilt, but they couldn't finish the deal late Saturday.
A lightning strike in the area put the game in a weather delay at 8:46 p.m. with the University of Arkansas leading 8-6, and just over an hour later during what turned into a lengthy downpour, officials postponed the game to send the crowd of 11,761 home early.
The game will resume at 11 a.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium with the Razorbacks batting with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Game 3 of the series will be a seven-inning affair and it will take place about 40 minutes following the end of the completed game.
Arkansas (36-13, 16-9 SEC) will be holding a half-game lead in the SEC West over Texas A&M, which rallied again to down Mississippi State 8-7 on Saturday.
Vanderbilt (33-15, 13-12) rallied for five runs in the top of the third inning to take a 5-1 lead before Arkansas stormed back, led by Cayden Wallace's three-run homer, his second of the game.
The Razorbacks have won 12 consecutive home series since a loss to Ole Miss in 2019. They will be trying to avoid dropping the first two games of a three-game set of any kind since April 12-13, 2019, at Vanderbilt.
Arkansas will also be trying to uphold an unblemished record of 13-0 when scoring in the first inning this season.
Wallace, the sophomore third baseman from Greenbrier, hammered Chris McElvain's second pitch of the bottom of the first inning over the left-field wall for a 1-0 lead on his seventh homer and the ninth allowed by the right-hander.
The Commodores batted around in the third inning, knocking Hagen Smith out of the game and plating five. Smith walked Spencer Jones and Davis Diaz in the inning and both of those runners scored.
Leadoff batter Enrique Bradfield Jr., who has been on base six times in 10 plate appearances in the series, opened the big third inning with a chopper single over the mound, which he easily beat out. Jack Bulger's ground out moved him to second base and he stole third base to improve to an SEC best 37 of 37 on stolen bases.
After Jones' walk, Dominic Keegan hit a deep fly ball to center to plate Bradfield. Javier Vaz, who has also swung a hot bat in the series, doubled home Jones.
T.J. McKenzie's slow roller through the right side against the shift made it 3-1 and ended Smith's day. Tate Kolwyck greeted Zack Morris with a double into the right-field corner to compete the uprising.
Smith allowed the leadoff runner to reach in each of his three innings, with Bradfield having singles in the first and third. He lasted 2 2/3 innings and gave up 5 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks, with 3 strikeouts.
Arkansas bounced back to score one in the bottom of the third with aid from the Commodores. Jalen Battles walked to lead off and came all the way around on Michael Turner's two-out single when the ball slid under the glove of the right fielder Jones.
McElwain retired Kendal Diggs on a sharp ground ball to open the bottom of the fourth, but then began to labor.
He walked Braydon Webb, Jace Bohrofen and Battles in succession before yielding a sacrifice fly to Zack Gregory to make it 5-2. Wallace got ahead 2-1 by laying off a slider that broke outside, then he clobbered a high fastball 382 feet over the wall in right-center field to send a jolt into the crowd and put the Hogs up 6-5.
Wallace has his second multiple home run game of the season to bring his total to eight, and the second in as many games for Arkansas after Brady Slavens did it on Friday to take the team lead with 13 home runs.
McElvain gave up 6 runs, 5 of them earned, on 3 hits and 5 walks in his 4 inning stint.
The Razorbacks added on to their lead in the fifth against Vandy right-hander Patrick Reilly. Brady Slavens and Webb drew walks before Bohrofen laced a double to right field, just out of the reach of the sliding Jones, to plate both runners.
A solo home run by Tate Kolwyck drew the Commodores within 8-6 in the top of the sixth. After a two-out walk to Bradfield, Coach Dave Van Horn pulled Morris and Zebulon Vermillion fanned Bulger to get out of the inning.
The Razorbacks are scheduled to send up their 9-1-2 hitters -- Gregory, Wallace and Turner -- in the bottom of the sixth inning.
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NoneNO. 4 ARKANSAS BASEBALL
vs. No. 21 Vanderbilt
WHEN 11 a.m. today
WHERE Baum-Walker Stadium, Fayetteville
RECORDS Vanderbilt 33-15, 13-12 SEC; Arkansas 36-13, 16-9 SEC
STARTING PITCHERS Vanderbilt LHP Carter Holton (6-3, 3.82); Arkansas RHP Jaxon Wiggins (6-1, 5.40)
RADIO Razorback Sports Network
TV None
STREAMING ESPN3.com
SHORT HOPS
Tate Kolwyck’s solo home run in the sixth was the first earned run allowed by Arkansas LHP Zack Morris since April 5, dating back 17 innings to a 21-9 win over the University of Central Arkansas. … The “lightning” delay in the sixth inning was the first in-game weather delay for the Razorbacks this season. … The exit velocity on Cayden Wallace’s first inning home run was 109 mph and his fourth inning shot was 102 mph. … Enrique Bradfield Jr. stole third base in the third inning, making him an SEC-best 37 of 37 on steals. … Arkansas dropped to 5-4 in SEC openers with Friday’s 9-6 setback … The Razorbacks are 5-3 in SEC Game 3s. … Vanderbilt OF Spencer Jones had a 19-game hitting streak ended with Friday’s 0 for 5 showing, with 3 strikeouts. … UA officials said tickets for Game 3 will be honored for both games today and single-game tickets bought for Game 2 can be exchanged for general admission tickets today.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY Vanderbilt*, 11 a.m. resumption
MONDAY Off
TUESDAY Off
WEDNESDAY Off
THURSDAY at Alabama*, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY at Alabama*, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY at Alabama*, 1 p.m.
* SEC game
Arkansas first baseman Brady Slavens slides into second base during the fifth inning against Vanderbilt on Saturday at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. Inclement weather halted the contest in the sixth inning with the Razorbacks holding an 8-6 lead. Play will resume today at 11 a.m. with the series finale following 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)