Baseball Erupts To Take Series From A&M

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The University of Arkansas baseball team (24-17, 9-9) scored six first-inning runs Sunday afternoon and dealt top-ranked Texas A&M (35-5, 12-5) its first series loss of the year with an 8-2 victory at Blue Bell Park.

Arkansas hands the top-ranked Aggies back-to-back losses for the first time this season as the Razorbacks capture their fourth consecutive SEC series win.

The Razorbacks took the lead just two batter into the game as Clark Eagan reached and Joe Serrano drilled an RBI double to the gap in right center to give Arkansas an early lead. The game was immediately halted due to storms in the area and the two teams waited out a two hour and six minute rain delay.

After the rain passed, the floodgates opened for the Arkansas offense as the Razorbacks plated six runs in the opening inning, including a pair of runs batted in from Luke Bonfield and Brett McAfee to create the 6-0 lead.

Keaton McKinney (3-1) took the mound with a lead and did not disappoint, lasting 5.1 innings and giving up two runs on seven hits, while striking out three.

Tyler Spoon would provide the rest of the offense with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, before an RBI single in the sixth inning gave Arkansas all the runs they would need in a six-run victory.

Zach Jackson came on in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and did what he has all year as he forced a pop out to third base and a strikeout to strand three Aggies. He would slam in the door in the seventh inning to seal the victory and give Arkansas its third win of the year against the No. 1 team in the land.

The Razorbacks return home next weekend for a three-game series with Mississippi State at Baum Stadium. The two teams will play Friday at 6:35 p.m., Saturday at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Saturday will be $1 hot dog night at Baum Stadium as Razorbacks go for the state record for hot dogs consumed at a venue. Click here for tickets.

Game Notes

  • Arkansas is the only team in the SEC to win each of its last four conference series.
  • The Razorbacks handed Texas A&M its first series loss of the year as the Aggies dropped consecutive games for the first time this season.
  • Arkansas improves to 3-3 this season against the No. 1 team in the country and 5-4 in the last two years.
  • Razorbacks ended the series outscoring Texas A&M 14-2.
  • Arkansas has opened the month of April with a 10-3 mark, including two SEC series wins on the road.
  • The five-run deficit overcome in game two is the largest this season for Arkansas.
  • Arkansas improved to 21-1 when leading after six innings and 13-2 when holding opponents to two runs or less.
  • The Razorbacks were 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the series finale.
  • Andrew Benintendi ended the weekend hitting .545 and has reached base in nine consecutive plate appearances.
  • Tyler Spoon recorded six hits on the weekend, drove in four runs and scored twice.
  • Joe Serrano hit .417 in the series with four RBI and four runs scored.

For more information on Arkansas baseball, follow @RazorbackBSB on Twitter.