Arkansas 3, Kentucky 2 — Middle 6th Inning

Nolan Souza drew a 2-out walk but that was all for the Razorbacks in the sixth inning. Alexander Peck grounded out in the next at-bat against lefty Jackson Soucie. 

Arkansas 3, Kentucky 2 — End 5th Inning

Gabe Gaeckle worked a perfect fifth inning with a couple of flyouts and a strikeout. His pitch count is at 84. This has been one of his better outings this year. 

Arkansas 3, Kentucky 2 — Middle 5th Inning

The Razorbacks loaded the bases and forced a 1-out pitching change in the fifth inning. 

After Alexander Peck grounded out to begin the inning, Zack Stewart walked, Damian Ruiz singled and TJ Pompey walked on a 3-2 pitch after a couple of foul balls. 

Ryder Helfrick hit a double-play ball against new right-handed reliever Ira Austin, but the Wildcats’ middle infield botched it a bit and Helfrick was able to reach first safely, which scored Stewart. 

Kuhio Aloy struck out to end the half inning and strand runners at the corners. 

Ben Cleaver pitched 4 1/3 innings for the Wildcats and allowed 3 runs, 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. He threw 84 pitches with 57 strikes. 

Arkansas 2, Kentucky 2 — End 4th Inning

Hudson Brown led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run the other way off the top of the left-center field wall. That was Brown’s fifth home run. 

Caeden Cloud added a 1-out walk after working a full count. After Jayce Tharnish struck out, it appeared Tyler Bell might hit a go-ahead homer, but the wind knocked down a well-hit ball near the warning track in right field. 

Arkansas 2, Kentucky 1 — Middle 4th Inning

Camden Kozeal worked a nine-pitch at-bat and stroked a 1-out solo home run 400 feet to right-center field on a 3-2 pitch. It followed the third straight he fouled off. 

That was Kozeal’s team-leading 17th home run. 

Arkansas 1, Kentucky 1 — End 3rd Inning

The Wildcats struck during their second time through the lineup, but that was secondary to a scary scene involving Braxton Van Cleave who was taken off the field on a stretcher after about a 15-minute delay. 

Jayce Tharnish was hit by Gabe Gaeckle’s first pitch of the inning and stole second base. A second base runner, Luke Lawrence, reached on a 1-out walk. 

Ethan Hindle flied out for the second out of the inning before Van Cleave’s bouncer found its way between shortstop Camden Kozeal and second baseman Nolan Souza for an RBI single. 

Van Cleave tried to take second base and as he did he and Kozeal had a nasty collision, with Van Cleave hitting Kozeal from behind. Kozeal appeared to unknowingly be standing in the base path and Van Cleave had his head down. It did not appear any player saw the collision coming. 

Van Cleave was on the field for several minutes while being tended to by the training and medical staffs of both teams. He was eventually taken off on a stretcher. They appear to be concerned about an injury to his head and neck area. 

The game resumed after an 18-minute delay. Gaeckle got a groundout to end the inning and strand Wildcats at second and third base. 

Arkansas 1, Kentucky 0 — Middle 3rd Inning

Zack Stewart led off the third inning with a 395-foot home run to right-center field. That was his second home run in as many pitches after he hit the leadoff homer in the ninth inning last night. 

That was Stewart’s 10th homer of the season and 54th of his career. 

That was Arkansas’ only hit of the inning. Damian Ruiz and Ryder Helfrick flied out and TJ Pompey struck out. 

Arkansas 0, Kentucky 0 — End 2nd Inning

Will Marcy led off with a walk and Hudson Brown followed with a single to set up Kentucky for a potential big inning, but Gabe Gaeckle pitched out of it. 

Owen Jenkins failed twice to put down a bunt, then struck out looking on the third pitch of the at-bat for the first out. Gaeckle then picked off Marcy at second base before Caeden Cloud struck out to strand a base runner. 

Arkansas 0, Kentucky 0 — Middle 2nd Inning

Nolan Souza beat out a 2-out infield single and was stranded when Alexander Peck flied out to right field. Peck had a couple of good takes after falling behind 0-2. 

Kentucky lefty Ben Cleaver has thrown 21 of 28 pitches for strikes. 

Arkansas 0, Kentucky 0 — End 1st Inning

Both teams stranded 2-out base runners in scoring position in the first inning. 

Ryder Helfrick hit a 2-out double for the Razorbacks and was out when Kuhio Aloy flied out. 

Luke Lawrence and Ethan Hindle had back-to-back singles for the Wildcats against Gabe Gaeckle. Damian Ruiz made a sliding catch in left field to end the inning on a well-hit ball by Braxton Van Cleave. 

Pregame

Arkansas and Kentucky are scheduled to play the second game of a series Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Kentucky Proud Park.

The Razorbacks (34-19, 15-13 SEC) will throw right-hander Gabe Gaeckle against Kentucky left-hander Ben Cleaver. 

Arkansas will be looking to even the series after losing the series opener 4-3.

Here is a look at the Razorbacks’ starting lineup:

LF Damian Ruiz

3B TJ Pompey

C Ryder Helfrick

DH Kuhio Aloy

SS Camden Kozeal

CF Maika Niu

2B Nolan Souza

1B Alexander Peck

RF Zack Stewart 

The National Cold War Center in Blytheville has acquired 36 original segments of the Berlin Wall.

A press release states that the arrival marks a major milestone in the development of the center and its mission to preserve and interpret one of the most consequential periods in modern history. The center, located at the former Eaker Air Force Base, was designated in 2023 by Congress as the nation’s official museum dedicated to the Cold War.

Together, the segments will form the largest publicly viewable collection of Berlin Wall segments outside Berlin. The segments arrived in Arkansas from Germany on May 13.

“This is a defining moment for the National Cold War Center,” said Christian Ostermann, executive director. “These are not replicas — these are original pieces of history that once divided the world. Preserving and interpreting the Berlin Wall at this scale positions the center as an important institution for understanding the Cold War and its lasting impact on the world today.”

The Berlin Wall stood for nearly three decades as a physical symbol of global political and ideological division during the Cold War. By preserving and presenting these original artifacts, the National Cold War Center will offer visitors a rare opportunity to experience the physical presence of the Wall while exploring the global events, tensions and decisions that shaped the modern world, according to the release.

Eaker Air Force Base was a Strategic Air Command Ready Alert installation during the Cold War era, and the National Cold War Center is being developed to educate and engage the public through immersive experiences, research and access to original historic assets.

The full collection will be publicly unveiled at the National Cold War Center Gala in November with information on exhibition plans, educational initiatives and more to be revealed in the coming months, the release stated.

Feature image: Berlin Wall segments after their arrival in Blytheville. (Photo courtesy of NCWC)
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