FAYETTEVILLE — The third-ranked Arkansas baseball team turned a two-run deficit into a five-run lead in a hurry Tuesday, but the Razorbacks had to hold off a scrappy Central Arkansas team that gave a scare to a second SEC heavyweight this season.
Wehiwa Aloy hit a grand slam and Ben McLaughlin hit a three-run home run in the third inning to account for most of the Razorbacks’ runs in a 9-7 victory over the Bears at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas (10-2) won its sixth consecutive game and remained perfect against UCA (7-7) since the teams resumed their series in 2021.
The latest game wasn’t as easy as some of the past ones against the Bears, who have become accustomed to close losses this year. UCA suffered its fifth loss by two runs or less, including 2-0 and 4-3 at second-ranked LSU on the first weekend of the season.
Arkansas freshman right-hander Gabe Gaeckle stranded the bases loaded after he walked home a run with two outs in the ninth inning. Gaeckle struck out Mason King for the final out of the game to earn his second save.
Gaeckle retired the first four batters he faced before he ran into trouble in the ninth. He allowed consecutive one-out singles by Hayden Seldromridge and Jagger Schattle. After a fly out from Drew Sturgeon, Gaeckle walked Kade Seldomridge to load the bases with two outs, then forced home a run when when Bryce Cermenelli walked on a 3-2 pitch.
It was the second time this season Gaeckle faced a bases-loaded situation in the ninth inning. He struck out two Oklahoma State batters after he inherited a jam Feb. 24. He also stranded two base runners twice against Murray State last weekend.
UCA scored four runs against Arkansas right-handers Cooper Dossett and Koty Frank in the fifth inning to pull within 7-6. The Bears also put the tying run on base in the sixth inning against Gage Wood and in the seventh against Stone Hewlett.
Arkansas fell behind 2-0 when freshman lefty Colin Fisher struggled for three innings. Cermenelli had an RBI hit as part of a three-hit sequence for the Bears in the second inning, and Schattle added an RBI single in the top of the third.
Aloy’s one-out grand slam gave the Razorbacks the lead for good. It was measured 442 feet to left field with a 106 mph exit velocity against UCA right-handed starter Bryce Parlin to give the Razorbacks a 4-2 lead.
McLaughlin added a three-run homer three batters later following a pitching change to right-hander Gavin Alveti. McLaughlin’s homer was measured 420 feet off the batter’s eye in center field and put Arkansas ahead 7-2.
The Razorbacks’ seven-run inning included four walks and an error by the Bears. All runs in the inning were earned and five were charged to Parlin.
Alveti settled in and pitched well for the Bears over 4 2/3 innings. Alveti threw 44 of 64 pitches for strikes, allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 3.
Arkansas had three base runners against him from the fourth through seventh innings, and one was erased by a double play.
All of the Bears’ runs in the four-run fifth came after Frank inherited two on base from Dossett with one out. Schattle (single), Sturgeon (double), Preston Curtis (sacrifice fly) and Cermenelli (single) had RBI in four consecutive at-bats.
Cermenelli was stranded at first base when King grounded out to third baseman Peyton Holt.
Alveti ran out of gas in the bottom of the eighth when Hudson Polk and McLaughlin singled in consecutive at-bats to lead off the half inning.
Pinch running for Polk, Will Edmunson scored on a wild pitch by sophomore right-hander Hunter Alexander to give the Razorbacks an 8-6 lead. Hudson White added a sacrifice fly to score McLaughlin and push the lead to 9-6.
Aloy flied out to right field to strand the bases loaded against Alexander in the eighth, which set the stage for the Bears' final push in the ninth.
All three UCA pitchers were right-handers from Arkansas high schools — Parlin from Bentonville, Alveti from Searcy and Alexander from Bigelow. Alexander played junior college baseball last season at Arkansas-Rich Mountain in Mena.
Until the rally in the eighth inning, the Aloy and McLaughlin home runs accounted for half of Arkansas’ hits. Ross Lovich, batting leadoff and playing center field, accounted for the others with singles in the fourth and seventh innings.
Lovich has multiple hits in three consecutive starts and is batting a team-best .471 in limited appearances.
The Bears out-hit the Razorbacks 9-7. UCA stranded 10 base runners.
Arkansas is scheduled to host McNeese State on Friday at 3 p.m. in the first of a three-game series.