Razorbacks Hammer Troy in Series Finale 16-2
TROY, Ala. – No. 6 Arkansas did not let an early lead slip away on Sunday as the Razorbacks scored two runs in the first inning and seven in the second inning en route to a 16-2 win over Troy.
A crowd of 2,074 fans at Riddle-Pace Field, which was the third-largest in Troy history, watched the Razorbacks score the most runs (16) since beating Eastern Illinois 17-2 on March 11, 2005, in Fayetteville. The Hogs pounded out 14 hits to tie the season high set Friday night against the Trojans, including three home runs.
The eight- and nine-hole hitters for the Hogs, Wayne Hrozek and Tim Smalling, led the way with three hits – both career highs. Thomas Hauskey also chipped in with his first career hit, an eight-inning single to right. Casey Coon connected for this third home run of the weekend in the first, while Jake Dugger and Wayne Hrozek hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning. The same trio led the way with three RBI eac
Duke Welker (1-0) showed why the professional scouts like the big lefty so much as he worked five-scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out four.
Dallas Keuchel was greeted in the sixth inning with a single by Cliff Robinson and a two-run home run by Josh Dew for the Trojans’ only runs of the day. He recovered to work two innings, allowing three hits and striking out three.
Jess Todd worked the final two innings, facing the minimum. He struck out five of the six batters he faced and has now fanned 11 in 5.1 innings of work this season.
Troy used six pitchers on the afternoon that issued nine walks, hit a Trojans’ school-record six batters and uncorked four wild pitches. Starting pitcher Ricky Ibarz took the loss (0-1) after allowing four runs on one hit in 1.1 innings of work. He walked two and hit two batters.
Coon staked the Hogs to an early 2-0 lead with his third home run of the series. He hammered a 0-1 pitch from Ibarz off the score board in right-center field with one out in the first inning.
Troy was forced to go to the bullpen early after Ibarz hit the first two hitters of the second inning and Logan Forsythe sacrificed the runners to second and third base.
That was just the beginning of the second inning for the Razorbacks, who sent 12 hitters to the plate and scored seven runs on four hits. The Hogs had help from the Trojan pitching staff as they hit four batters and walked home a run.
Smalling doubled home a run while Ben Tschepikow and Dugger singled home single tallies and Hrozek plated two runs with a single. Danny Hamblin drew the based loaded walk for his fourth RBI of the season. UA extended the lead to 10-0 when Tim Smalling’s leadoff single scored on a bases loaded walk to Casey Coon.
The Razorback bats really got going with two outs in the fourth inning as Hamblin doubled home a run and Dugger and Wayne Hrozek pounded back-to-back home runs. It was the first back-to-back home run for the Hogs since May 20, 2006 vs. Auburn. Arkansas collected five straight two-out hits in the fourth inning as the lead ballooned to 14-0.
UA tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly to right field by Smalling and a wild pitch from Troy hurler Robert Brown extended the lead to 16-2.
The Razorbacks open their 2007 home schedule on Friday, Feb. 16, at 3:05 p.m. against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
