Baseball can't solve Centenary pitching

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Junior Andrew Darr hit his second home run of the season in the fifth inning to tie the game, but his efforts were not enough for the University of Arkansas Razorback baseball team as they dropped a 5-1 decision to Centenary College on Wednesday afternoon at Baum Stadium.

The Razorbacks could only muster four hits against the best that the Gents could place on the mound. Combined, the three Centenary pitchers entered the contest accounting for eight wins and three saves and were masterful on the mound as they kept Arkansas’ bats at bay.

“They just outplayed us today,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “I thought Sam Murphy did a heck of a job and defensively I didn’t think we did a horrible job, it’s just the pickoff didn’t work for us and we just got beat. You have to make plays in games like this and we don’t have the guys in the lineup that we need to make those plays because of injuries.”

Centenary started the game off on the right foot on Wednesday by putting up a score in the top of the first inning. Jamar Tabor opened the contest with a walk and drew a lot of attention from Arkansas’ starter, Murphy, at first. After several pick off attempts, Murphy threw one astray which allowed Tabor to advance all the way to third where he would eventually score on a ground out to shortstop.

“Murphy got a little nervous in the first inning and overthrew the pickoff which led to a run,” Van Horn recounted. “Other than that, he pitched great.”

The Gents opened the game with hard-throwing lefthander Dakota Robinson on the mound and the southpaw threw very well allowing just two hits over the opening four innings. Aside from the struggles in the first, Murphy also looked strong through four giving up just one hit through the same time period.

Centenary chose to change its pitcher in the fifth and the Razorbacks’ Andrew Darr took advantage of the new arm. Darr was the first batter to face the Gents’ newcomer and greeted the righty with a shot over the left field wall, tying the game at one.

Arkansas’ game-tying effort didn’t last long as Centenary scored three in the top of the sixth. A one-out double started a three run rally in the inning and gave the Gents a solid 4-1 lead heading into the final innings. The Gents would tack on one more in the eighth before bringing in their closer Boone Whiting to finish off the game.

For the Razorbacks Casey Coon continues to hit the ball well as the junior picked up a pair of hits. Coon has 10 hits over his last five games. Darr and catcher Ryan Cisterna had the only other Razorback hits on the day.

The Razorbacks go on the road this weekend for a three-game set with ninth-ranked Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., beginning on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit www.hogwired.com.