FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks used a four-run eighth inning to secure a 7-3 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium, clinching the weekend series.
Scoring Summary Mississippi State jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second inning. Drew Wyers opened the scoring with an RBI single to center field, bringing home Ryder Woodson. Bryce Chance followed with an RBI single to score Chone James, and Aidan Teel capped the inning with an RBI single to left that scored Blake Bevis, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 advantage.
Arkansas responded in the bottom of the third. Ryder Helfrick struck out but reached first on a wild pitch, which allowed Nolan Souza to score. Moments later, Helfrick advanced on a passed ball, bringing Damian Ruiz across the plate to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Razorbacks manufactured another run in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game at 3-3.
The Razorbacks broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth inning. Maika Niu lined an RBI single to right field to score pinch-runner Landon Schaefer. TJ Pompey then delivered what would be the game-winning hit, singling to center field to bring home Niu. Later in the inning, Camden Kozeal reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, allowing Reese Robinett to score an unearned run. Helfrick capped the rally by drawing a bases-loaded walk to bring home Pompey, extending the Arkansas lead to 7-3.
Leading Hitters For Arkansas, Maika Niu finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, Damian Ruiz doubled while going 2-for-4, and Nolan Souza went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. TJ Pompey went 1-for-4 but provided the decisive game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning.
For Mississippi State, Aidan Teel, Bryce Chance, and Drew Wyers each recorded a hit and an RBI.
Pitching Summary Arkansas starting pitcher Colin Fisher took a no-decision, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out six. Mississippi State starter Duke Stone was equally impressive in a no-decision, racking up nine strikeouts over 4.2 innings while allowing three earned runs on five hits.
- Winning Pitcher: Ethan McElvain (3-0) earned the win for Arkansas in relief, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two.
- Losing Pitcher: Tyler Pitzer (1-1) took the loss for Mississippi State, surrendering two earned runs on two hits in 0.2 innings.
- Save: None (0 saves).
Game Details The game was played in mid-70s temperatures with a gusty 16 mph north wind. The contest lasted three hours and 26 minutes, with 9,653 fans in attendance.
Next Game With this series concluded, Mississippi State will return home to face Jackson State on Tuesday, March 17 at 6:00 p.m.. Arkansas will host Northern Colorado on Tuesday, March 17 at 6:00 p.m..
Team Records:
- Arkansas: 14-6 Overall, 2-1 SEC
- Mississippi State: 16-4 Overall, 1-2 SEC
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