HawgBeat – Diamond Hogs defeat South Carolina in series opener

FAYETTEVILLE — The Diamond Hogs made their triumphant return to Baum-Walker Stadium on Friday after last week’s road sweep, and the freight train just kept rolling.

Arkansas rode lockdown pitching for nine innings to a 4-1 win over the No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks, securing its 18th SEC win of the season and seventh in a row.

Friday’s action began with a welcome sight for the Razorbacks, who got the services of center fielder Tavian Josenberger back after a 20-day absence. The leadoff man suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain in the series finale against Georgia, but he seamlessly returned to his role against the Gamecocks with a single and two walks.

“We’ve been waiting for this day,” right fielder Kendall Diggs said. “I don’t know if you could tell, everyone had a little pep in their step. That’s just what he brings, and it was really good to see him back out there.”

Sophomore left-hander Hagen Smith earned his second consecutive Friday night start, and it began with shades of the same erraticism he displayed last week at Mississippi State.

South Carolina leadoff man Michael Braswell clapped his hands toward his dugout after a four-pitch walk, and two more balls prompted a mound visit from catcher Parker Rowland. Two pitches later, there were two outs, and Smith froze freshman phenom Ethan Petry for strike three to face the minimum.

Smith retired his first two hitters in the second inning and ultimately escaped unharmed, but a pair of walks ran his pitch count up to 35.

A one-pitch out to begin the third inning, however, changed his and his team’s fortunes. Smith went 1-2-3 on nine pitches, and the bottom of the Razorback order finally made some noise against Gamecock starter Eli Jones.

Second baseman Peyton Holt ended the perfect game bid with a leadoff double placed just inside the right field line, and he scored the game’s first run on Diggs’ 102-mph single off the first baseman’s glove with two strikes and two outs.

“He’s a huge part of why we’re winning baseball games and why we’re rolling right now,” Josenberger said. “He’s seeing the ball really well, having great ABs, driving a lot of runs in.”

The Hogs had nothing to show for first baseman Brady Slavens’ two-out double in the fourth, and Jones fanned three more hitters in the fifth, bringing his strikeout count to 10.

Smith continued to cruise through the middle innings, stranding a leadoff single in the fourth and erasing a hit batsman with his second double play ball in the fifth, but trouble started brewing with two outs in the sixth.

The third time through the South Carolina order began with a Braswell single, and he scored the tying run on the second consecutive two-out knock. Designated hitter Braylen Wimmer collected the game-tying RBI, and the Razorbacks turned to right-hander Gage Wood one out shy of a Smith quality start.

“He had a really good demeanor about himself out on the mound,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “He was composed. He pitched, his fastball, I don’t know, the board said 93. I don’t know if it was 93, 92, 94, somewhere in there. That’s enough if you’ve got enough pitches going, and he did.”

Third baseman Talmadge LeCroy grounded the freshman’s seventh pitch to his counterpart’s left, and Caleb Cali scooped it and one-hopped it to first to preserve the deadlock.

Even though it tied the game, the Gamecocks’ run was a sort of blessing in disguise with the Hogs’ propensity to strike back.

Left fielder Jace Bohrofen got the line moving with a four-pitch walk, and that was the end of the line for Jones. Facing reliever Cade Austin, designated hitter Ben McLaughlin singled to right, leaving Cali with runners on the corners and nobody out.

Although he grounded into a double play and did not get credit for an RBI, Cali’s batted ball allowed Bohrofen to complete his trip around the bases for a 2-1 Arkansas lead.

After Wood faced the minimum in the seventh, his cushion ballooned to three runs thanks to Diggs’ second RBI knock of the evening.

Holt led off with a walk and shortstop John Bolton bounced one over the third baseman’s head for a hit. After Josenberger’s second walk moved both to scoring position, Diggs drove in runs No. 54 and 55 on the season to make it 4-1.

“It was awesome to see,” Diggs said. “Tavian had a great at-bat, everyone was seeing the ball really well, and (I) went up there, just tried to get the job done and it worked out.”

Wood collected a pair of strikeouts to end the eighth, shaking his head with swagger as he headed back to the first base dugout.

“It’s going to be really tough to stop me after I get my emotions going,” Wood said.

A bloop single was the only thing that stood in the way of a perfect ninth, but Wood punched out pinch hitter Carson Hornung to cap off a 10-out win.

“It seemed like he was getting better as it went on a little bit,” Van Horn said. “Came in, he was OK, threw the ball well. His fastball was a tick harder. As far as command, it was better in the eighth and ninth.”

Smith and Wood combined to allow one run on six hits, completing one off the strongest pitching performances of the conference slate.

“I mean that’s why we won the game, obviously,” Van Horn said. “We didn’t hit a whole lot. We’d put together an inning or punch one in here or there in the other ones, but the pitching did it for us today.”

With the victory and Vanderbilt’s loss to Florida, Arkansas is in sole possession of first place in the SEC.

“We’ve been grinding all season with guys out,” Josenberger said. “I don’t think it’s going to change anything when we get guys in. We’re going to keep trying to win baseball games, hopefully make a run.”

The Razorbacks and Gamecocks will square off again at 6 p.m. Saturday in a contest that will stream live on SEC Network Plus, accessible through the ESPN app. Right-hander Brady Tygart will make his third start in as many weeks for Arkansas.