Hogs Down Musketeers in Home Opener

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In front of the largest home-opening crowd (10,388) in program history, eighth-ranked Arkansas (4-1), led by Camden Kozeal’s three-run home run, downed Xavier (2-3), 5-2, Friday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Hogs go for the series win tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, on SEC Network+. Arkansas has won 32 consecutive non-conference home weekend regular season series at Baum-Walker Stadium.

For the second game in a row, the Razorbacks posted a three-spot in the first inning. After Nolan Souza’s double and Ryder Helfrick’s walk, Kozeal’s three-run home run to left center gave Arkansas an early 3-0 lead in the home opener.

Gabe Gaeckle, provided with a three-run cushion, fired five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts to earn his first win of the season. Xavier’s lone damage against the right-hander came on a solo homer in the top half of the fifth inning.

Souza’s second double of the game came in the fifth and extended Arkansas’ advantage to 5-1. The designated hitter went 2-for-4 with two RBI, his first multi-RBI game of the season and second multi-hit performance of the campaign.

Cole Gibler took over in relief of Gaeckle in the sixth inning and tossed a career-long four frames of one-run ball with two strikeouts to log his first save of the year. Xavier’s second run of the game came on a solo shot in the eighth.

Offensively, Kuhio Aloy (1-for-2, BB) and Carson Brumbaugh (1-for-3) also collected base hits in the Razorbacks’ win.

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