7-Run 8th Inning Powers Razorbacks to Series Sweep of Gamecocks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A seven-run eighth inning, highlighted by Brent Iredale’s grand slam, powered No. 3 Arkansas (23-2, 5-1 SEC) to an 11-4 series-sweeping win against South Carolina (17-8, 1-5 SEC) Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium.

With the win, the Hogs completed their first SEC weekend series sweep of the season and improved to 23-2 overall on the year, their best 25-game start to a season in program history. Arkansas, which has not dropped an SEC home opening weekend series since 2015, has earned sweeps in eight of its nine consecutive SEC home opening series wins.

Led by two-hit performances from Charles Davalan (2-for-4, HR, RBI), Logan Maxwell (2-for-3), Ryder Helfrick (2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI) and Justin Thomas Jr. (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI), all nine Razorback starters recorded at least one hit in Sunday’s thrashing of the Gamecocks. Iredale, who racked up a game-high five RBI, was one of three Hogs with multiple RBI.

Arkansas starter Landon Beidelschies, making his second career SEC start, turned in five innings of two-run ball with three strikeouts. South Carolina went up 2-0 with leadoff homers in both the top of the first and second to grab an early advantage, but Beidelschies settled down with three scoreless frames to allow the Razorback offense to hit its stride.

Helfrick’s first of two solo home runs on the day came in the bottom of the second and cut Arkansas’ deficit to one before Davalan hit his second homer in as many days in the third on an opposite-field solo shot to even the game at two.

The Razorbacks took their first lead of the afternoon in the fifth, scoring a pair of runs on Iredale’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly to right and Kozeal’s RBI fielder’s choice to open a 4-2 advantage. After South Carolina punched back with two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game at four, Arkansas delivered the knockout blow with an seven-spot in the eighth.

After Nolan Souza drew a leadoff walk to start the inning, Thomas Jr. jacked a go-ahead two-run homer, his third blast of the season, to put the Razorbacks ahead, 6-4. Arkansas, however, did not stop at two runs.

When Davalan singled and Wehiwa Aloy walked, South Carolina opted to intentionally walk Kuhio Aloy, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI Sunday, to load the bases with one out for Iredale. The Razorback third baseman hammered the first pitch he saw for a grand slam to break the game wide open by providing Arkansas with a comfortable 10-4 lead.

With his five-RBI performance, Iredale took over the team lead in RBI with 41. The Sydney, Australia, native, who is in his first season at Arkansas after two years at New Mexio JC, is now slashing .356/.527/.808 in 25 games on the year.

Helfrick added his second homer of the day later in the inning to extend the Hogs’ advantage to 11-4. The seven-run edge was more than enough for Arkansas’ bullpen to work with to secure the series-sweeping win.

In relief of Beidelschies, Ben Bybee (1.0 IP), Parker Coil (2.0 IP, 1 SO), who earned his second win of the season, and Carson Wiggins (1.0 IP, 2 SO) each combined to throw four scoreless innings and close out Sunday’s victory.

Up next, Arkansas will conclude its six-game homestand against Missouri State at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, on SEC Network+ before hitting the road for its SEC weekend series at Vanderbilt on March 28-30.

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