Murphree's Three Hits Not Enough for Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Senior Aaron Murphree had three hits on Tuesday night, but despite his efforts, the Arkansas Razorback baseball team dropped a 9-4 decision to Oral Roberts at Baum Stadium.

Murphree and freshmen Brett Eibner and Jacob House combined for seven of Arkansas’ eight hits on the evening as the Razorbacks fall to 17-14 on the year. Oral Roberts improves to 21-7.

“Oral Roberts did a good job tonight,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “We didn’t swing the bats or get plays up the middle. We walked too many and had to play a lot of our young guys.”

Oral Roberts scored in the top of the second to take the early lead. Brian Van Kirk opened the inning with a double and scored on a one-out sacrifice fly to right field. Van Kirk’s double was the first of three consecutive hits for the Golden Eagles, but a good play by the Razorbacks on the third hit got the runner at second base for the first out of the inning.

Eibner tied the score at one with a solo home run to lead off the second inning. The round-tripper was Eibner’s second in as many games as the Houston, Texas, native hit one to left field on Sunday afternoon against Auburn. Arkansas would tack on a second run in the inning when back-to-back singles by House and Murphree were followed up by a passed ball on the Oral Roberts catcher that allowed the duo to advance one base. In an attempt to get House at third, an errant throw bounced away from the bag and gave House the opportunity to score.

Oral Roberts would then score seven unanswered runs over the next four innings to take a commanding 8-2 lead in the game. The Golden Eagles ran pitchers in and out of the game on an inning basis and kept the Razorbacks out of rhythm.

The Hogs would get one run back in the seventh inning on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Logan Forsythe to the deepest part of Baum Stadium. Murphree opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Chase Leavitt and Ben Tschepikow would both walk to load the bases for Forsythe who put a charge in a 3-2 pitch that sailed to the 400 sign in left-center field before it was caught up against the wall. The fly ball scored Murphree.

Another Oral Roberts run in the eighth was countered by Arkansas in its half of the inning when two singles placed runners at the corners. A balk on a 3-1 pitch to Leavitt would score Arkansas’ final run of the game.

The Razorbacks are back on the road this weekend with a three-game series with the 25th-ranked Florida Gators. For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit www.hogwired.com.