NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Nobody is happier concerning the finish of Arkansas baseball’s non-conference schedule than Dave Van Horn.

After profitable their first eight, the Razorbacks limped to the end line by shedding three of their final 4 midweek video games, capped by a disappointing 8-6 loss in 11 innings to Lipscomb at Dickey-Stephens Park.

Arkansas scored three runs within the eighth inning to tie it up, benefitting from two wild pitches and an error, however may by no means push anything throughout and the Bisons ultimately scratched throughout a pair of their very own to tug off the upset in extras.

“Even when we’d have received the sport, we didn’t play good,” Van Horn stated. “We didn’t play good in any respect — actually, in any part of the sport. We didn’t pitch good, we didn’t subject good, we didn’t drive in runs. … I imply, total it was most likely one in every of our worst video games of the 12 months, truthfully.”

Regardless of a 23-21 total document, Lipscomb is tied for second within the ASUN — behind solely a Florida Gulf Coast group that’s hung out ranked within the prime 25 this season — and got here into the sport with a No. 140 RPI.

As the sport rolled on, the Bisons introduced of their nearer, left-hander Hayden Frank, and rolled with him to the end. The Razorbacks, however, have been on pitchers who have been probably fifteenth and sixteenth within the pecking order earlier than the season.

Frank threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings, permitting solely three base runners (one hit, one stroll, one HBP), whereas designated hitter-turned-two-way Ben McLaughlin struggled to throw strikes. He confronted six batters and walked three of them, with the primary two coming round to attain what proved to be the game-winning runs.

It was so tough that he needed to be pulled for freshman Sean Fitzpatrick, who made simply his third look of the season to complete off the eleventh. He was the ninth pitcher Arkansas used Tuesday night time.

“(We) have been going through one of many prime lefties most likely of their league and on their group, they usually threw him 60 pitches,” Van Horn stated. “They needed to win. We needed to win, however you must decide. I’m not going to throw as many.”

It’s a very delicate scenario for the Razorbacks, who’ve been ravaged by accidents this season. Not even together with season-ending accidents to Jaxon Wiggins and Koty Frank, they’re coping with a number of points.

Van Horn indicated after the sport that ace Hunter Hollan may get pushed again to Recreation 2 or 3 of this weekend’s Mississippi State collection as a result of he’s coping with shin splints. Simply as he acquired Brady Tygart again from harm, right-hander Dylan Carter went down with what seems like a big harm.

“It’s not good,” Van Horn stated. “That’s all I’m going to go away it at. It’s not good.”

For sure, Arkansas is scraping the underside of the barrel with its pitching workers, so Van Horn is more than pleased to solely be coping with SEC video games the remainder of the best way.

“There was part of me that was glad there was solely two left final week, as a result of we don’t have sufficient,” Van Horn stated. “We’ve acquired three video games value on the weekend. Till we get some guys wholesome, we’ve simply sufficient.”

Scoring in Bunches

Primarily based on the primary inning, it appeared like Arkansas baseball is perhaps in retailer for a uncommon offensive outburst at Dickey-Stephens Park.

After walks by Jace Bohrofen and Ben McLaughlin, Harold Coll hammered an 0-1 pitch for a three-run homer. It was his third lengthy ball of the 12 months and traveled 428 toes, hitting the scoreboard in left.

The Razorbacks’ different three-run inning was nearly the precise reverse of that, as all three runs scored and not using a participant notching an RBI. With two outs and the bases loaded, McLaughlin scored on a wild pitch and Jayson Jones raced residence when the throw from the catcher sailed over the pitcher’s head on a possible play on the plate.

That additionally put Peyton Holt — who pinch ran regardless of struggling an ankle harm over the weekend — on third and he was capable of rating on a wild pitch, too. Arkansas ultimately had the go-ahead run in scoring place, however Bohrofen struck out to to face him there.

“It was nice that we scored three runs with out doing a complete lot and tied it up. We had one in every of our greatest hitters on the plate with a runner at second, and he didn’t get a success. That’s the best way the sport works generally. We had a chance to take the lead or win the sport, and we didn’t get the hit.”

Coil Builds Off Save

The identical pitcher who completed off the Razorbacks’ sweep of Texas A&M was again on the mound to start out Tuesday’s midweek sport.

Left-hander Parker Coil gave Arkansas two robust innings in his first begin since March 14 in opposition to UNLV. He retired six of the seven batters he confronted, working round a leadoff stroll within the second.

“It’s good to see him go on the market,” Van Horn stated. “He was simply pounding the zone, spinning it, throwing the changeup and recognizing his fastball. I believed he did a extremely good job.”

It was the third straight stable outing by the freshman within the span of eight days, as he additionally threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings at Missouri State final Tuesday. He adopted that up by incomes his first profession save by permitting just one run over the ultimate 1 2/3 innings of Recreation 3 in opposition to the Aggies.

Throw in his two innings in North Little Rock and he’s posted a 1.42 ERA in 6 1/3 innings throughout his final three appearances, with opponents going simply 4 for 20 (.200) in opposition to him.

Coil may have stayed within the sport longer, however Van Horn stated they acquired him out after 33 pitches so he could possibly be out there to pitch within the second and third video games this weekend at Mississippi State.

Ledbetter Shines Near Dwelling

Maybe essentially the most encouraging factor to return out of the loss was the efficiency of right-hander Austin Ledbetter.

Pitching in entrance of plenty of family and friends, the Bryant native threw 4 scoreless innings Tuesday night time, scattering three hits, two walks and one hit batter. It was the longest outing of the sophomore’s profession.

“This was his greatest outing,” Van Horn stated. “He pitched rather well. It’s one of the best he’s thrown shortly.”

It was an important outing for Ledbetter, who has struggled for a lot of this season after initially being considered a key arm. Van Horn really left him off the 27-man roster final weekend, so he wasn’t out there to pitch in opposition to Texas A&M.

“It acquired to me a little bit bit,” Ledbetter stated. “I simply at all times wish to be there for my group and I do know I’m adequate to go on the market and compete with any group within the nation.”

Requested if he’d be capable to pitch this weekend at Mississippi State, Ledbetter stated he’d “100%” be able to go, however after throwing 55 pitches, it’d probably be Saturday or Sunday.

Ugly Outings by Freshmen

The place the sport was misplaced was in a pair of abysmal outings by freshmen, as right-handers Christian Foutch and Ben Bybee did not retire any of the seven batters they confronted.

Their failure to get any outs actually stretched the Razorbacks’ already-thin pitching workers

“The destructive is we had two youngsters that didn’t get an out,” Van Horn stated. “That’s actually — when you’ve got restricted arms… I imply, we have been out of pitching. That was our final pitcher. If that sport will get tied, I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Arkansas was nonetheless up 3-1 when Foutch entered the sport within the fourth inning, however he issued a pair of walks and hit a batter to load the bases earlier than Van Horn pulled him.

It was a really regarding outing as a result of the Colorado native has now allowed 12 straight batters to achieve over the span of 4 appearances, courting again to the ultimate sport of the Georgia collection. He has walked six, plunked two and given up 4 hits, together with a homer.

5 of these runners have gone round to attain, giving him 5 earned runs with out even a 3rd of an inning. That’s led to his ERA ballooning from 3.27 following the primary 4 outs he made in that sport in opposition to the Bulldogs to eight.18.

“In all probability confidence greater than something,” Van Horn stated. “They didn’t hit him. He simply hit a man, walked a pair. What do you do? So now you go to Mississippi State questioning if can put him within the sport. It’s a troublesome scenario.”

Bybee gave up two hits and two walks within the sixth inning when it was nonetheless a tie sport. That led to 3 runs for the Bisons.

Up Subsequent for Arkansas Baseball

Tuesday marked the ultimate non-conference sport of the common season for Arkansas baseball, which now has simply 9 SEC video games remaining in 2023. That begins with a visit to Starkville, Miss., for a collection in opposition to Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs wouldn’t have a midweek sport main as much as that collection, so that they’ll come into the weekend with a 24-20 total document that features a 6-15 mark in SEC play. That’s sixth within the West and twelfth within the convention total.

Friday’s sport is scheduled for six p.m. CT and will probably be streamed on SEC Community-Plus.

Different Arkansas Baseball Tidbits

• With the loss, Arkansas baseball fell to 10-2 all-time at Dickey-Stephens Park. It has performed one sport on the venue yearly since 2010, aside from 2020 and 2021. A full rundown of these video games may be discovered under.
• As at all times, it was a packed home for the sport, with an introduced attendance of 9,346. The 12-game complete for the venue is 112,017 — or a median crowd of 9,335.
• Caleb Cali, the Razorbacks’ hottest hitter of late, went 0 for 4 with two walks. That snapped his 13-game hitting streak, which was one shy of matching Jared Wegner’s season-long streak of 14 video games.
• With two outs within the seventh inning, Jace Bohrofen reached through a success by pitch. It’s the fifteenth time he’s been plunked this season, which is one shy of cracking the UA single-season checklist. Most lately, Zack Gregory was hit by 16 pitches final season.
• The house run by Harold Coll — which traveled 428 toes with a 104 mph exit velocity and 28.8 levels — was the Razorbacks’ first in North Little Rock since Heston Kjerstad went yard within the eighth inning of the 2019 sport.
• Proper-hander Will McEntire pitched an inning and acquired a few fast outs earlier than permitting a solo residence run to heart to Caleb Ketchup. It’s the seventeenth lengthy ball he’s given up in 55 2/3 innings this season. Nonetheless, replays indicated it ought to have been a double off the wall and never a homer, however replay was not out there:

Historical past of Arkansas Baseball at Dickey-Stephens Park

Dickey-Stephens Park opened in 2007 and is the house ballpark for the Arkansas Vacationers, the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

Of the 12 video games held on the park, seven have been determined by precisely one run, two have been determined by two runs and one other was a three-run sport. The 2 outliers have been a 5-run win over Memphis in 2011 and a 14-run win over Grambling State in 2019.

“Properly it’s not our residence park,” Van Horn stated when requested concerning the video games at all times being shut in North Little Rock. “It’s a completely completely different park than ours. This can be a enormous ballpark. It’s rather a lot completely different really feel, so it’s actually a impartial website. The followers are unbelievable right here, although, nevertheless it’s at all times shut.”

• 2023: L, 8-7 (11 innings) vs. Lipscomb
• 2022: W, 2-1 (10 innings) vs. Central Arkansas
• 2019: W, 17-3 vs. Grambling State
• 2018: W, 7-6 vs. Grambling State
• 2017: W, 2-0 vs. Memphis
• 2016: W, 3-1 vs. ULM
• 2015: L, 5-4 vs. Memphis
• 2014: W, 3-0 vs. Mississippi Valley State
• 2013: W, 2-1 vs. Mississippi Valley State
• 2012: W, 6-5 (10 innings) vs. Louisiana Tech
• 2011: W, 7-2 vs. Memphis
• 2010: W, 5-4 (10 innings) vs. Louisiana Tech

Arkansas vs Lipscomb Postgame Interviews

Arkansas vs Lipscomb Field Rating

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