Lee’s Strong Start Propels #4 Arkansas to Double Midweek Series Sweep against Northern Colorado

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Peyton Lee’s five shutout innings and six strikeouts propelled No. 4 Arkansas (16-6) to a double midweek series sweep in a 9-4 win against Northern Colorado (3-20) Wednesday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Hogs improved to 5-1 in midweek games this season. Arkansas previously defeated Tarleton State on Feb. 16 at Globe Life Field, split a double midweek series with Arkansas State on Feb. 24-25 and collected a win against Oral Roberts on March 3 before sweeping the double midweek series against Northern Colorado on March 17-18.

Lee, the true freshman right-hander, set the tone on the mound for the Razorbacks with his career-long five scoreless frames and career-high six strikeouts. Making his third start of the season, the Maumelle, Ark., native, who allowed only one hit while issuing three free passes in the win, carried a no-hitter through his first 4.1 innings of work on the hill.

Arkansas jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first on two-out RBI singles from Zack Stewart and Carter Rutenbar and never looked back. Stewart (2-for-4, RBI) and Rutenbar (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) were two of five Razorbacks who collected multi-hit games in Wednesday’s win, as the Hogs scored at least one run in six of their eight innings at the plate.

Damian Ruiz (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, SB), Camden Kozeal (2-for-3, 3 R, SB) and Kuhio Aloy (2-for-5, 2 RBI, SB) also tallied multiple hit performances. With his two-hit day, Ruiz is slashing a team-leading .359/.500/.484 in 19 games played.

Kozeal, meanwhile, raised his season slash line to .346/.449/.679 in 21 games. The Razorback infielder leads the team in nearly every offensive category, including runs (25), hits (28), doubles (7), home runs (6), RBI (27) and total bases (55).

In relief of Lee, Tate McGuire (1.0 IP), Cooper Dossett (1.0 IP) and Luke Cornelison (2.0 IP, 1 SO) combined for three scoreless innings. Trailing by nine in the top half of the eighth, Northern Colorado broke through for its only runs of the afternoon against left-hander Joey Lorenzini, who was tagged for four runs on three hits without recording an out.

Up next, Arkansas jumps back into SEC play with a road trip to Columbia, S.C., to square off against South Carolina (12-10). First pitch in the series opener between the Hogs and Gamecocks is 6 p.m. Friday, March 20, on SEC Network+.

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