FAYETTEVILLE — Things were set up for another big comeback victory for the University of Arkansas baseball team on Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
But Texas A&M closer Chandler Jozwiak wouldn’t cooperate.
Jozwiak struck out Matt Goodheart and Cayden Wallace — who earlier in the game had combined for 4 hits and 5 runs batted in — with the bases loaded in the ninth inning as the Aggies held on to beat the No. 1 Razorbacks 11-10.
Arkansas (30-6, 11-4 SEC) has won nine games this season when trailing by three or more runs and was on the verge of making it 10 after rallying from a 10-4 deficit going into the bottom of the sixth inning on Sunday.
Goodheart’s three-run home run in the sixth inning made it 10-7, and after Texas A&M (21-17, 4-11) added a run to make it 11-7 in the seventh, the Razorbacks got another three-run home run in the bottom of the inning from Zack Gregory to cut their deficit to 11-10.
“Just a tough loss because of the way it finished,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “We had a chance to tie it or win it late and we just couldn’t get the bat on the ball.”
After Trevor Werner — the Aggies’ fifth pitcher of the game — walked Casey Opitz and Jalen Battles on eight consecutive pitches, Gregory laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Braydon Webb, who pinch ran for Opitz, and Battles to second and third base.
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Werner, who also plays third base, made a strong throw to barely get Webb for the first out of the inning at first base.
Texas A&M Coach Rob Childress then had Robert Moore intentionally walked to load the bases and brought in the left-handed throwing Jozwiak.
“The guy has the heart of a lion,” Childress said. “In that spot you have to be perfect and he certainly was perfect.”
Jozwiak, the hard-luck loser who pitched the final 3 1/3 innings when Arkansas won Saturday night’s second game of a doubleheader sweep 2-1 on a throwing error in the 10th inning, struck out Goodheart and Wallace swinging on pitches in the dirt after getting ahead in the count 0-2 and 1-2.
“He took care of Goodheart on three pitches,” Van Van Horn said. “Fast ball away, fast ball away and breaking ball in the dirt.
“Give him credit. He made three great pitches. As a hitter obviously you’re just got to find a way to put a bat on the ball.
“Wallace had two pitches that he fouled off that he was right on, but he missed them. Then [Jozwiak] buried that breaking ball that he hadn’t thrown him yet to get the strikeout to end the game.
“I don’t think either of them were trying to do too much. I just think that they got beat by a good pitcher.”
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After the Aggies were held to one run in 19 innings on Saturday, including a 13-0 pounding by Arkansas in the opener, they had 11 hits on Sunday to break a seven-game SEC losing streak.
The Razorbacks, who used six pitchers, also helped Texas A&M by issuing four walks, hitting three batters and committing two errors.
“We had to go to the bullpen again way too early,” Van Horn said. “Didn’t play good defense. Pitched behind in the count all day long.
“They were just ahead in the count 2-0 and 3-1 a lot and took some really good swings and we didn’t play good. It wasn’t a good day for us.”
Arkansas starter Lael Lockhart allowed 3 runs — 2 earned — and 5 hits in 3 innings. Van Horn pulled him after Brett Minnich hit a single to lead off the fourth inning.
“He was behind in the count the whole time,” Van Horn said. “Pretty much every inning he struggled with runners all over the place and just couldn’t command stuff — and they were taking some really good swings.”
Ryan Costeiu (5-1) came in for Lockhart and got Ty Coleman to hit what should have been a double-play grounder to the normally sure-handed Battles at shortstop.
But Battles bobbled the ball and didn’t record an out. Bryce Blaum had a sacrifice bunt to advance Minnich and Coleman to second and third base and Mikey Hoehner followed with a two-run single to put the Aggies ahead 4-3.
Arkansas tied it 4-4 in the fourth inning on Moore’s home run, but the Aggies scored two runs in the fifth inning and four in the sixth, when Hunter Coleman hit a three-run home run off Caden Monke, who had pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in Saturday’s opener and came in Sunday for Zack Morris.
Morris allowed 3 runs and 3 walks in 1 2/3 innings. Caleb Bolden followed Monke and allowed a run in an inning.
Jaxon Wiggins pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning for the Razorbacks.
Van Horn said Zebulon Vermillion, one of Arkansas’ top relievers, has a sore arm and wasn’t available to pitch against Texas A&M.
“It definitely hurt,” Van Horn said of not having Vermillion. “It could have hurt us [Saturday] as well.
“He’s just having some soreness. We didn’t pitch him at Ole Miss [the previous weekend]. We didn’t put him on the roster this weekend.
“It’s one of those things. You run into this a little bit. We’re hoping he’ll be back ready to go [at South Carolina] and everything seems to be good.”
Van Horn said the Razorbacks also hope to have pitcher Connor Noland, who hasn’t pitched since March 5 against Murray State because of arm soreness, available for the South Carolina series that starts Thursday.
“I don’t know if he’s ready to start yet,” Van Horn said of Noland. “I’m not sure the pitch count that we put on him.
“Whenever we get him out there, we just want it to be quality. Whether it’s two innings or one hitter. We just want him to go out and pitch like he can, like he used to.
“I think he’s ready to roll. When he is, we’re going to use him.”