COLUMBIA, Mo. – Cole Gibler and Steele Eaves combined for a two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts as No. 24 Arkansas (29-15, 11-9 SEC) clinched its third SEC road weekend series of the season with a 6-0 win against Missouri (20-23, 3-17 SEC) Friday night at Taylor Stadium. With the series-clinching win, the Razorbacks secured their fourth consecutive weekend series win in Columbia, Mo., as well as their sixth consecutive weekend series win against the Tigers.
Arkansas will go for the sweep in the series finale, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25, on SEC Network+ with Dan McLaughlin (play-by-play) and Dylan Kelly (analyst) on the call from Taylor Stadium. The Hogs, who have now won nine consecutive games in the series, last swept the Tigers in Columbia during the 2014 campaign.
Gibler, making his third career start on the mound, fired a career-long six shutout innings with five strikeouts to earn the win and record his first quality start. The Razorback left-hander, who hails from Blue Springs, Mo., limited the Tigers to just one hit and three walks as he lowered his season ERA to 2.91 in 43.1 innings and improved to 4-1 on the year.
Arkansas and Missouri exchanged zeroes for the first three innings before Camden Kozeal’s two-run homer with two outs in the top of the fourth. The Razorback shortstop’s 12th long ball of the season gave his team a 2-0 advantage.
The Hogs maintained their two-run cushion until the sixth inning, when Maika Niu’s RBI double and Zack Stewart’s pinch-hit two-RBI single extended the lead to 5-0. Reese Robinett, a native of Kennett, Mo., tacked on an RBI single in the top half of the eighth to grow Arkansas’ lead to six, which was more than enough for its pitching staff to protect.
Eaves worked three shutout frames with two strikeouts in relief of Gibler to secure his first career save and seal the Razorbacks’ 6-0 win, marking Arkansas’ fifth shutout of the season as well as its second combined two-hit shutout of the year. Hunter Dietz and Mark Brissey combined for a two-hit shutout in a 9-0 win against UT Arlington on Feb. 28.
Offensively, Kozeal (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) and Niu (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, SB) were two of three Razorbacks to record multi-hit games in Friday night’s win. Ryder Helfrick also pitched in with a two-hit effort, going 2-for-5 in the series-clinching win.
Arkansas will turn to left-hander Colin Fisher (4-5, 4.11 ERA) tomorrow with the opportunity to finish off the sweep against Missouri at stake. The Tigers, meanwhile, will start right-hander JD Dohrmann (2-1, 4.37 ERA) on the mound.
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