Mashing Memphis: Goodheart leads Hogs’ bat brigade

FAYETTEVILLE -- Matt Goodheart homered and had four hits, and Zack Gregory homered and drove in three runs to help No. 2 Arkansas subdue Memphis 9-4 on Wednesday at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Razorbacks (16-3) won their fourth consecutive game heading into their first SEC road series at Mississippi State on Friday.

Arkansas piled up 14 hits, with eight of the nine starters notching a hit and four players having at least two. The Razorbacks went 27 for 72 in the two-game series with Memphis, raising their batting average 17 percentage points to .283.

"Just a good two-game sweep for us," University of Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "A lot of times when you have a couple of games like this pinched in-between two conference series it can get a little bit crazy. Credit our guys for showing up both days, playing hard and doing a nice job of finding a way to put together some good innings."

Memphis (9-10) used six pitchers who combined to issue 8 walks and hit 2 batters in addition to the 14 hits allowed. The Tigers built a 2-0 lead but could not contain the Razorbacks' offense.

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Goodheart's two-run home run to right field came after Braydon Webb's walk and extended the Razorbacks' lead to 6-3 in the sixth inning. Gregory's fielder's choice ground out scored Cullen Smith with a third run later in the sixth inning.

Goodheart, who played first base on Wednesday, raised his average 58 percentage points to .291 with the four-hit performance.

"Just tried to get in the groove," Goodheart said. "You know baseball is one of those games where you just do anything to stay in a rhythm. I won't necessarily say I've been in a great rhythm, but at the same time I wouldn't say I've been struggling, either. Just kind of in a lull. Hopefully today kick-started a streak and maybe we'll keep it going this weekend."

Webb, the Arkansas outfielder who had been in a lengthy slump entering the series, reached base on 4 of 6 plate appearances, with a double, 3 walks and 3 runs scored. Webb went 2 for 3 with 7 walks and 6 runs scored and reached base in 9 of 11 plate appearances against the Tigers.

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Memphis second baseman Braden Webb, unrelated to UA's Webb, went 4 for 7 in the series.

"He makes pitchers work on the mound," Van Horn said of his Webb. "He takes some walks, gets hit by pitches. He obviously had a double and a homer the last couple of days and scored a lot of runs for us. So you can throw the batting average out the window, in my opinion. I'm just going on what I've seen the last few days."

Left-hander Caden Monke (2-0) picked up the win with his longest outing of the season, striking out 2 and allowing 1 hit and 1 walk in 2 2/3 innings.

Kole Ramage allowed a solo home run to Ben Brooks on his first pitch in the seventh inning, but he rebounded to strike out four over the final three innings to notch his first save.

Memphis built a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third against Miller Pleimann without getting a hit.

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Taylor Howell's sacrifice fly in the first came after Brooks and Alec Trela sandwiched walks around a Jacob Nesbit fielding error. Jaylen Wilson was hit by a pitch to open the third before moving up on Brooks' walk and Hunter Goodman's fly ball. Trela's sacrifice fly against Evan Gray made it 2-0.

Arkansas had a pair of runners in both the first two innings against Logan Walters (1-1) before finally breaking through against the righty, who entered with a 24.00 ERA, in the third.

Webb drilled a double down the left-field line to open the inning, then Cayden Wallace and Cullen Smith drew one-out walks. Evan Bates laced a single to right on an 0-2 pitch to tie the score at 2-2, then Gregory's sacrifice fly scored Smith to make it 3-2.

Memphis tied the game 3-3 in the fourth after Blake Adams walked a pair and Braden Webb singled up the middle to drive in one. Monke entered and induced a ground out and a liner to escape the inning.

Braydon Webb walked with two outs in the fourth inning and Goodheart singled to push him to third. Webb scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.