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Arkansas 15, Alabama 6 — Bottom 9th Inning
Caleb Barnett’s 1-out RBI single was his first career hit. It scored pinch hitter Peyton Steele, who drew a 1-out walk and took second base on indifference.
Arkansas 15, Alabama 5 — Middle 9th Inning
Maika Niu was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He advanced on a groundout and stole third base before he scored on Kuhio Aloy’s 1-out RBI single.
Reese Robinett walked after a pitching change to load the bases, then Nolan Souza hit a 2-run single through the right side.
TJ Pompey followed with an RBI single to right-center field to score Robinett.
Pinch hitter Christian Turner added an RBI on a fielder’s choice to second base. That scored Souza from third base.
Ryder Helfrick was robbed of a single with a great jump throw from Justin Lebron at shortstop.
Colin Fisher will pitch the ninth for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas 10, Alabama 5 — End 8th Inning
Eric Hines led off with a single and went to third base on Luke Vaughn’s 1-out single. He scored when Brennan Holt hit into a fielder’s choice at second base.
Arkansas tried to turn a double play, but Holt beat Camden Kozeal’s throw to first base.
Bryce Fowler grounded out against Colin Fisher to end the inning. Arkansas had Parker Coil up in the bullpen.
Arkansas 10, Alabama 4 — Middle 8th Inning
Camden Kozeal was safe with a leadoff double. He was called out at second base, but it was overturned on replay.
Damian Ruiz scored Kozeal with an RBI single to left in the next at-bat.
Kuhio Aloy also singled to send Alabama to the bullpen, replacing Sam Mitchell for Luke Smyers.
Reese Robinett laid down a 0-2 bunt and was safe before Nolan Souza’s sac fly scored Ruiz from third base.
After a pitching change to right-hander Austin Morris, TJ Pompey took a breaking pitch for the first strike, then hammered the second pitch, a hanging changeup, deep to left field.
Carter Rutenbar and Ryder Helfrick both struck out to end the rally, but the Razorbacks have a big lead after another monster eighth inning in Tuscaloosa.
Arkansas 5, Alabama 4 — End 7th Inning
Colin Fisher pitched the seventh for Arkansas.
Brady Neal drew a 4-pitch walk to lead off the inning, but Jason Torres hit into a 4-3 double play to erase him, and John Lemm grounded out to end the inning.
That was the second double play Torres has hit into today. He hit into an inning-ending double play in the first inning.
Arkansas 5, Alabama 4 — Middle 7th Inning
TJ Pompey led off with a double to left field, advanced to third on Carter Rutenbar’s groundout up the middle and scored when Ryder Helfrick smoked a 3-2 groundball into the chest of shortstop Justin Lebron.
Lebron rebounded and threw out Helfrick, then spent a moment on the ground while the Alabama trainers came to check on him.
Maika Niu grounded out to third base to end the half inning.
Arkansas 4, Alabama 4 — End 6th Inning
The Crimson Tide had a 1-out bases loaded situation with the top of the lineup coming to the plate against Steele Eaves.
Bryce Fowler’s sac fly scored Justin Osterhouse, who had a 1-out pinch-hit single to start the rally. The inning also included a throwing error on TJ Pompey and a walk by Brennan Holt.
The Pompey error was a little tough luck. He made a strong throw from the other side of the foul line, but Reese Robinett could not pick it. That allowed Luke Vaughn to get on base.
Eaves struck out Justin Lebron to end the inning and strand runners at first and second base.
Arkansas 4, Alabama 3 — Middle 6th Inning
The Razorbacks could not scratch across an unearned run in the sixth.
Camden Kozeal reached on a throwing error by second baseman Brennan Holt. Damian Ruiz bunted him over and Kuhio Aloy followed with a walk in four pitches.
Alexander Peck had a competitive at-bat that ended with a long fly ball out to the warning track in left field. Nolan Souza grounded up the middle to end the half inning.
Zane Adams has thrown 104 pitches for the Tide. They have action in the bullpen.
Steele Eaves will stay in the game to pitch the bottom of the sixth for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas 4, Alabama 3 — End 5th Inning
The Crimson Tide sent Arkansas to the bullpen with Brady Neal’s 1-out double.
Steele Eaves replaced Cole Gibler and retired both of the batters he faced in the inning. Jason Torres was called out looking at a 0-2 breaking pitch before John Lemm grounded out to first base to strand Neal at second base.
Zane Adams, with a pitch count of 88, will return to the mound for Alabama in the top of the sixth.
Arkansas 4, Alabama 3 — Middle 5th Inning
The Razorbacks put together a good fifth inning against Zane Adams to take the lead.
After Alexander Peck flied out to lead off the inning, Nolan Souza fisted a 2-strike curveball the other way for a 1-out double.
TJ Pompey was hit in the foot by a 0-1 pitch, then Carter Rutenbar smacked a 2-2 pitch back up the middle to score Souza and bring Ryder Helfrick to the plate.
Pompey and Rutenbar executed a double steal, and catcher John Lemm’s throw went wide of third base, which allowed Pompey to score the tying run and Rutenbar to advance to third.
Helfrick fought off a 3-2 pitch, then got another to drive to center field for a sac fly that scored Rutenbar and gave Arkansas the lead.
Maika Niu flied out to end the inning.
Adams threw 24 pitches in the inning to bring his total to 88. The Crimson Tide might need to go to the bullpen for the sixth.
Alabama 3, Arkansas 1 — End 4th Inning
Chase Kroberger’s 2-out bunt single changed the tenor of the fourth inning.
Cole Gibler walked Luke Vaughn when he bounced a 3-2 breaking pitch, then Brennan Holt hit an RBI single to score Kroberger from second base.
Bryce Fowler flied out to left field to end the inning.
Steele Eaves was throwing in the Arkansas bullpen when the inning ended.
Alabama 2, Arkansas 1 — Middle 4th Inning
Nine pitches was all it took for Zane Adams to get through the Arkansas fourth inning.
Camden Kozeal popped up on the second pitch, Damian Ruiz flied out on the first pitch and Kuhio Aloy struck out swinging at a 3-2 breaking pitch.
Adams has thrown 36 of 64 pitches for strikes.
Alabama 2, Arkansas 1 — End 3rd Inning
Brennan Holt led off with a walk, stole second base and scored on Justin Lebron’s 1-out RBI single to left field.
Lebron got behind 0-2 and went low to connect with a 0-2 breaking pitch from Cole Gibler. Lebron went to second base on Brady Neal’s groundout and stole third base before Jason Torres grounded out to the mound.
The ball went off Gibler’s leg, but he recovered and made a strong throw to first base.
Lebron is 3 for 3 stealing bases today.
Arkansas 1, Alabama 1 — Middle 3rd Inning
The Razorbacks tied the game when Alabama could not turn an inning-ending double play off the bat of Maika Niu.
Carter Rutenbar hit a 1-out double and Ryder Helfrick followed with a single that scorched off the third baseman’s glove and allowed Rutenbar to advance and put runners at the corners.
Niu did not have a good at-bat. He was out in front of a couple of pitches and fouled them off, then grounded to shortstop on the 0-2 pitch. Alabama turned it fine, but the throw to first base could not be brought in.
The inning ended when Niu was caught trying to steal second base. Zane Adams picked on Niu’s move and he was out 1-3-6.
Alabama 1, Arkansas 0 — End 2nd Inning
Cole Gibler worked around Chase Kroberger’s 2-out walk when Luke Vaughn popped up to third base.
Gibler has thrown 17 of 32 pitches for strikes.
Alabama 1, Arkansas 0 — Middle 2nd Inning
The Razorbacks could not score a pair of 1-out base runners in the second inning.
Damian Ruiz walked and Kuhio Aloy followed with a single on a 2-strike pitch. Alexander Peck battled but struck out before Nolan Souza grounded out to end the half inning.
Zane Adams’ pitch count is at 34 through the second inning.
Alabama 1, Arkansas 0 — End 1st Inning
Justin Lebron stole second and third base, and scored when Ryder Helfrick’s throw to third base was wide.
Bryce Fowler led off with a single against Cole Gibler. Lebron hit into a fielder’s choice at second base, then made a major impact with his base running.
Brady Neal drew a 1-out walk on the pitch following Lebron’s score, then Jason Torres hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Arkansas 0, Alabama 0 — Middle 1st Inning
The Razorbacks went down in order against Alabama lefty Zane Adams in the first. Adams fanned Ryder Helfrick and Maika Niu in consecutive at-bats to get the Crimson Tide back to the dugout.
Pregame
It’ll be a warm day in Tuscaloosa as Arkansas tries to take the series from ninth-ranked Alabama. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
The 22nd-ranked Razorbacks won 7-5 last night in Game 1.
Arkansas left-hander Cole Gibler will make his first start opposite Alabama lefty Zane Adams, a third-year starter. Gibler has been the Razorbacks’ go-to arm in the bullpen, so he has experience pitching long periods of time, but this will be a new role.
A surprise in the starting lineup: left fielder Damian Ruiz is available and playing after missing only six games with his knee injury suffered March 29 against Florida. He was expected to miss around a month.
Here is the Razorbacks’ lineup:
RF Carter Rutenbar
C Ryder Helfrick
CF Maika Niu
SS Camden Kozeal
LF Damian Ruiz
DH Kuhio Aloy
1B Alexander Peck
2B Nolan Souza
3B TJ Pompey
Matt Jones
Matt Jones is the managing editor of WholeHogSports.com and hosts the WholeHogSports Daily Podcast. He is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and voter for the Heisman Trophy. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas.
