Back-to-Back-to-Back Homers Power #1 Arkansas to SEC Opening Weekend Series Win
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Peyton Stovall, Wehiwa Aloy and Kendall Diggs swatted back-to-back-to-back homers, powering No. 1 Arkansas (16-2, 2-0 SEC) to a 6-0 win over Missouri (9-10, 0-2 SEC) Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
With the shutout, the Hogs clinched their seventh consecutive SEC Opening Weekend series win. Arkansas has not lost an SEC Opening Weekend series at Baum-Walker Stadium since dropping two-of-three games against Ole Miss in 2013.
Right-handers Brady Tygart and Will McEntire teamed up to toss the Razorbacks’ second consecutive shutout, as well as their first nine-inning combined one-hitter since 2019. Tygart, who allowed Missouri’s lone hit of the afternoon, struck out seven in his 4.2-scoreless inning start, and McEntire racked up five strikeouts in his 4.1 scoreless frames in relief.
Before this weekend, Arkansas last recorded consecutive nine-inning shutouts against a conference opponent in 2007, tossing back-to-back shutouts against South Carolina on May 23 and Alabama on May 24 in the SEC Tournament. The Razorbacks had last twirled consecutive nine-inning shutouts against a conference opponent in a weekend series during the 1978 campaign, accomplishing the feat against then-Southwest Conference foe Rice on April 10-11.
Tygart and McEntire also combined to hurl Arkansas’ first nine-inning combined one-hitter since 2019, when Patrick Wicklander, Kole Ramage, Jacob Kostyshock, Kevin Kopps and Matt Cronin did so against Western Illinois on March 12.
Offensively, the Hogs only needed one inning to take control and clinch their seventh consecutive SEC Opening Weekend series win. After Missouri starter Javyn Pimental, who tossed five scoreless innings with four strikeouts, departed the ballgame, Arkansas broke through for six runs in the bottom half of the sixth against the Tiger bullpen.
Stovall (1-for-2, HR, RBI), Aloy (1-for-4, HR, RBI) and Diggs (1-for-4, HR, RBI) greeted Missouri reliever Bryce Mayer with back-to-back-to-back home runs to lead off the inning and put Arkansas ahead. Ross Lovich’s two-run triple later in the frame extended the Hogs’ advantage to five before he scampered home on a wild pitch, growing Arkansas’ lead to 6-0.
Lovich, the Missouri transfer, finished with a team-leading two hits and two RBI in Saturday’s series-clinching win. For the season, the Overland Park, Kan., native is slashing .382/.463/.676 with two homers and 14 RBI in 12 games this year.
The Razorback will go for their sixth SEC Opening Weekend series sweep in their last seven tries in tomorrow’s finale at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch between Arkansas and Missouri is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, March 17, on SEC Network+.
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