After struggling offensively for much of its stay in South Carolina, Arkansas baseball's offense broke through late Saturday at Founders Park.
The second-ranked Razorbacks scored five runs in the seventh inning to take command and defeated 21st-ranked South Carolina 9-6 in the second game of a doubleheader.
Arkansas won the rubber game of the series after South Carolina won the first game of the day 6-3 when the Razorbacks left the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
Arkansas (34-6, 14-4 SEC) maintained a one-game lead over top-ranked Texas A&M in the SEC West race with four weeks remaining. It was the team’s second series win on the road, but first time to win a series finale away from home in three tries.
“It was a really gutsy win [in the finale] by our team,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “I felt like a lot of guys contributed, whether it was base running or driving in runs — just a lot of things I really liked.
“It was a good series win.”
A leadoff walk by catcher Parker Rowland kickstarted the rally in the seventh inning that grew the Razorbacks’ lead from 4-2 to 9-2. Pinch runner Will Edmunson advanced on Peyton Stovall’s single and scored on a wild pitch by South Carolina reliever Tyler Pitzer.
Ben McLaughlin followed with a single to force a pitching change from Pitzer to Michael Polk. Wehiwa Aloy (single), Kendall Diggs (double) and Peyton Holt (single) followed with RBI hits in three of the next four at-bats to break open the game.
In the first two games of the series the Razorbacks were 6 for 40 with runners on base and 2 for 25 with runners in scoring position. Arkansas stranded 14 and 13 in the earlier games in the series, but only 6 in the final game.
“We had runners all over the bases and finally today we busted it open there in the seventh,” Van Horn said.
With six strong innings, Arkansas right-hander Brady Tygart tied his career-long outing set Feb. 24 against Oklahoma State on a neutral field in Arlington, Texas. He allowed 2 runs, 4 hits and 2 walks and struck out 6, and he threw 59 of 85 pitches for strikes.
Tygart has had back-to-back good outings on the road after he struggled with command early in conference play. He allowed one run in five innings at Alabama last Sunday.
“I’m trying to get back to who I am instead of thinking about a million different things on my delivery,” Tygart said. “I’m also a lot more comfortable. That’s what leads to confidence.”
Right-hander Will McEntire, pitching for the first time in the series, worked around a two-out walk in the seventh before South Carolina scored three runs against him in the eighth. McEntire allowed 2 hits and 2 walks and struck out 2 in his 2-inning, 50-pitch outing.
Gage Wood allowed a run to Lee Ellis after a leadoff double in the ninth.
“To score 12 runs in one day against the best pitching staff in the country, I think that’s something that we can build on,” South Carolina coach Mark Kingston said.
“I don’t know how you could play any closer than that 18 innings today. Both teams scored 12 runs, both teams did a lot of good things. That’s the No. 2-ranked team in the country [and we] went toe-to-toe. I’m disappointed we didn’t win the series again, but I just think it shows how close we are.”
The Razorbacks gave Tygart early run support with three runs in the second inning against South Carolina right-handed starter Dylan Eskew. All three runs were unearned after Nolan Souza reached on a one-out throwing error by Ellis, the Gamecocks’ shortstop.
Holt was hit by a pitch and Ross Lovich walked to load the bases without a hit. It appeared South Carolina might get out of the inning without allowing a run, but the Gamecocks couldn’t turn a double-play ball hit by Jack Wagner.
Second baseman Parker Noland’s throw brought first baseman Gavin Casas off the bag and allowed Souza to score, then Holt came home on a wild pitch. Rowland added an RBI double off the left-field wall to score Wagner and put the Razorbacks ahead 3-0.
South Carolina (27-13, 9-9) fought back to within 3-2 with runs in the third and fifth innings against Tygart. Cole Messina’s double past third base scored Austin Brinling from first base in the third, and Ellis and Brinling had back-to-back doubles in the fifth to plate a run.
Arkansas answered in the top of the sixth when Diggs doubled to left with one out and scored on Holt’s two-out single to right. The Razorbacks out-hit the Gamecocks 9-8. Eight of the Razorbacks’ hits were the opposite way and another was up the middle by Stovall.
“We’re trying to hammer the ball the other way,” Diggs said.
Diggs and Holt had multiple hits and 2 RBI apiece to lead Arkansas. Seven players in the Razorbacks’ starting lineup recorded a hit, and those who did not still contributed. Wagner drove in a run and Lovich walked three times.
Twenty of the 27 players on Arkansas' weekend roster played Saturday, including 16 in the finale.
“We needed them all,” Van Horn said. “It was super hot and humid out here all day. Between games, we stayed in the dugout. [South Carolina’s players] disappeared in the locker room in the air-conditioning. We just hung out and ate and talked and waited for Game 2 to get here. I thought our guys really toughed it out today.”
Eskew pitched a career-high 5 2/3 innings and allowed 1 earned run, 4 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 3 and threw 50 of 81 pitches for a strike.
Why Arkansas won
The Razorbacks had two big innings at the plate to supplement a solid start on the mound.
Player of the Game: Arkansas RF Kendall Diggs
Diggs doubled twice as part of run-scoring innings for the Razorbacks. He scored twice and had 2 RBI.
Diggs also had a hit and drew a walk in the first game Saturday. He did not swing a bat earlier in the week to rehab a swollen shoulder.
“It does a lot for our lineup, brings a veteran hitter in there that can hit the ball over your head all over the field,” Van Horn said. “He hit a couple of balls, one over the left fielder’s head, one down the left-field line, just missed a home run a couple of times. He just had a great day. He definitely makes our lineup a lot tougher.”
Poll implication
The Razorbacks should retain the No. 2 spot behind Texas A&M in the USA Today Baseball Coaches Poll. The Aggies won their weekend series at No. 14 Alabama.
Arkansas went 4-1 against a pair of teams that will likely be in regionals, Texas Tech and South Carolina, with hard-fought games all week.
Give me 5
Arkansas has won five consecutive series against South Carolina by a 2-1 game count and has not lost a series to the Gamecocks since 2016 in Columbia, S.C.
The Razorbacks won two series over South Carolina in Fayetteville in 2018, including a super regional. Arkansas won its series at Founders Park in 2021 and won a series last year at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Up next
Arkansas is scheduled to play Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.