FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A six-run second inning powered No. 19 Arkansas to an 8-4 victory over No. 18 Florida Saturday afternoon at Baum Stadium.
The win clinched the opening Southeastern Conference series for the Hogs, who moved to 11-3 overall and 2-0 in the SEC. Florida fell to 9-6 overall and 0-2 in SEC.
Junior T.J. Forrest evened his season record at 1-1 with a career-high seven strikeouts in four innings of relief against the Gators, who stranded a season-high 12 runners. Freshman Tim Carver went 2-for-3 and senior Ben Tschepikow was 1-for-3 and each drove in two runs for Arkansas.
The Razorbacks sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning and scored six runs on five hits, chasing freshman starter Alex Panteliodis, who fell to 2-2.
Sophomore Brett Eibner led off with a single and sophomore Andy Wilkins (2-for-4) followed with a single through the left side before the runners were sacrificed over on a bunt by senior Andrew Darr. Carver poked a two-run single and, after a walk to senior Ryan Cisterna, redshirt freshman Collin Kuhn (3-for-5) laced an RBI single for a 3-0 margin and prompted a pitching change by Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
Junior Jeff Barfield replaced Panteliodis and surrendered a two-out, two-run single to Tschepikow for a 5-0 Arkansas advantage. Freshman pinch-hitter Zack Cox walked on four pitches and a wild pitch from Barfield left the hosts with runners on second and third. Eibner walked but a passed ball on the play enabled Tschepikow to score the sixth run.
Florida got on the scoreboard in the third on a bases-loaded RBI groundout by senior Brandon McArthur, who was 1-for-5 with 3 RBI. The Gators made it 6-4 in the seventh on a two-run double by McArthur and an RBI grounder by Riley Cooper.
Arkansas answered soon after with a two-out solo homer into the right-field bullpen by Wilkins to take a 7-4 lead. It was the sophomore’s second dinger of the series and team-leading sixth of the campaign.
Barfield worked 5.2 innings, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned), with three walks and three strikeouts. Junior Clint Franklin surrendered a two-out RBI single to senior Scott Lyons in the eighth to complete the game’s scoring.
The series concludes Sunday with freshman left-hander Nick Maronde (1-1, 2.25 ERA) opposing freshman left-hander Drew Smyly (1-0, 1.32 ERA) at 2 p.m.