Arkansas 3, Georgia 3 — End 6th Inning
Zach Root walked Christian Adams and gave up a single to Daniel Jackson with 2 outs in the sixth, and was replaced by Aiden Jimenez in a high-leverage situation.
Jimenez missed on a 3-2 pitch to Devin Obee to load the bases, but Kolby Branch flied out to right to strand 3 for the Bulldogs.
Root’s final line: 5 2/3 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts. He will take a no-decision.
Arkansas 3, Georgia 3 — Middle 6th Inning
Wehiwa Aloy led off with a walk and went to second base on a wild pitch, but he was out trying to steal third base with 1 out and Brent Iredale at the plate.
Iredale drew a walk, but Cam Kozeal popped up to end the inning.
The Razorbacks have had 3 outs on the bases tonight that have been costly — not only to the outcome potentially, but Nolan Souza’s injury, too.
Arkansas 3, Georgia 3 — End 5th Inning
Zach Root allowed a leadoff single to Devin Obee and a 1-out double to Slate Alford to give the Bulldogs runners in scoring position.
But he struck out Georgia’s two best power hitters, Ryland Zaborowski and Robbie Burnett, to strand the base runners. Root struck out the side in the inning and has 6 strikeouts tonight.
Brian Curley will be replaced on the mound by right-hander JT Quinn in the sixth for the Bulldogs. Quinn is a transfer from Ole Miss.
Arkansas 3, Georgia 3 — Middle 5th Inning
Nolan Souza doubled for Arkansas with 1 out in the fifth, but he was out at third base trying to advance on a ball hit to the left side of the infield, and hurt on an awkward slide on the turf.
Souza has returned to the dugout with his right shoulder iced and his arm in a sling. He was holding his wrist as he exited the field with Arkansas’ medical staff. Gabe Fraser has replaced him at second base.
Charles Davalan hit a fly out to deep left field to end the inning.
Arkansas 3, Georgia 3 — End 4th Inning
Zach Root has retired 7 in a row since the 2-out home run against him in the second inning.
And he is doing it efficiently. He got through the third and fourth innings in 21 pitches after throwing 39 through the second.
Arkansas 3, Georgia 3 — Middle 4th Inning
Wehiwa Aloy was hit by a 1-out pitch, then Logan Maxwell (double) and Brent Iredale (single) followed with consecutive RBI hits.
Cam Kozeal hit into a fielder’s choice, but he went to second base when shortstop Kolby Branch tried to turn a double play and threw the ball into a camera well.
Kuhio Aloy singled to score Kozeal. Aloy was out at second base trying to advance on the throw home, but he was out to end the inning.
Georgia 3, Arkansas 0 — End 3rd Inning
Zach Root needed a quick inning and he got one in the third, retiring the Bulldogs’ 1-2-3 hitters in 10 pitches.
Justin Thomas, the former Georgia outfielder, made a sliding catch to lead off the inning to rob Slate Alford of a hit.
Georgia 3, Arkansas 0 — Middle 3rd Inning
This game is not trending well for the Razorbacks through 2 1/2 innings. Georgia’s pitcher is on and Zach Root is laboring some.
Brian Curley wiggled out of a 3-0 count against Ryder Helfrick for a pop up to third base to begin the third inning. He struck out Nolan Souza in 3 pitches and got Justin Thomas looking at a 1-2 pitch for his fourth and fifth strikeouts.
Curley has not allowed a hit. He has thrown 42 pitches through 3 innings, whereas Root has thrown 39 through 2.
Georgia 3, Arkansas 0 — End 2nd Inning
Christian Adams drew a 1-out walk and Daniel Jackson followed with a double to left.
Adams came home on Devin Obee’s groundout to third base.
Kolby Branch, the 9-hole hitter, followed with a 2-run home run to center field. That was his third homer of the week.
Slate Alford flied out to end the inning.
Zach Root is not pitching real efficiently for the Razorbacks. His pitch count is 39 through 2 innings, and the Bulldogs have 2 extra-base hits and 2 walks against him.
Arkansas 0, Georgia 0 — Middle 2nd Inning
The Razorbacks do not have a hit against Brian Curley through 2 innings. Brent Iredale and Cam Kozeal made contact to the outfield, but they were fly outs, and Kuhio Aloy struck out.
Curley has 3 strikeouts.
Arkansas 0, Georgia 0 — End 1st Inning
Zach Root worked around a 2-out walk to Robbie Burnett, then a questionable balk call from first base umpire Javerro January that allowed Burnett to go to second base.
Root struck out Ryland Zaborowski to go with a couple of fly outs to center field. He won an 8-pitch battle with Slate Alford to start the inning.
Arkansas 0, Georgia 0 — Middle 1st Inning
Brian Curley struck out Charles Davalan looking and Wehiwa Aloy swinging, and Logan Maxwell flied out to deep left field in the top of the first inning.
Pregame
The Razorbacks and the Bulldogs get underway at 5 p.m. Central in the weekend’s most high-profile matchup.
Arkansas is ranked No. 1 and Georgia is No. 6 in this week’s USA Today Baseball Coaches Poll.
This series is a matchup of teams that are near mirror images offensively and defensively, near the top nationally in most statistical categories. Arkansas’ pitching is better statistically.
It is also a matchup of coaches that used to work with each other. Georgia’s Wes Johnson was an assistant on Dave Van Horn’s staff at Arkansas from 2017-18.
Zach Root (3.48 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) will start on the mound for Arkansas. Lefties have given Georgia trouble this season, especially last week in a series sweep at Texas.
The Bulldogs will throw right-hander Brian Curley (3.45 ERA, 0.98 WHIP).
Here is Arkansas’ starting lineup:
LF Charles Davalan
SS Wehiwa Aloy
RF Logan Maxwell
3B Brent Iredale
1B Cam Kozeal
DH Kuhio Aloy
C Ryder Helfrick
2B Nolan Souza
CF Justin Thomas
