TAT: Hogs Sweep Series Against Gamecocks

This article originally appeared in the March 25, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

After losing two out of three against Ole Miss in their opening Southeastern Conference series, the Arkansas baseball team bounced back with a three game sweep against South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.

In the first game of the series, Arkansas used 13 hits, two Gamecock fielding errors and seven walks to beat South Carolina 15-3.

The Razorbacks didn’t get on the board until the fourth inning, when freshman Willie Schwanke and junior Jake Wise drew bases loaded walks to score a pair of runs.

Junior Jacob Morris hit a two-RBI ground-rule double to bring Arkansas’ total to four runs.

After a wild pitch allowed Morris to score, freshman Tyler Spoon hit a two-RBI single, followed by a two-run home run by sophomore Brian Anderson. The Razorbacks finished the inning with nine runs.

The Gamecocks responded by scoring three runs in the sixth inning, knocking Arkansas’ starter, junior Barrett Astin, out of the game.

However, that was all South Carolina could get. Arkansas added another five runs in the seventh inning and one run in the ninth.

Astin picked up his second win of the season, giving up three earned runs on six hits, three walks and five strike outs in 5.1 innings.

Spoon finished 3-for-6 with five RBI, while Anderson and Mahan finished 2-for-5 with 2 RBI each.

Arkansas’ 15 runs are the most scored by the Razorbacks in an SEC game since they scored 17 against Kentucky April 4, 2010, a game they won 17-16.

The Razorbacks clinched the series in game two with a 4-2 victory.

South Carolina got on the board first, using an error by Anderson, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to score a run in the fifth inning.

Arkansas answered in the sixth inning with an RBI-single by Spoon to tie the game.

After junior Dominic Ficociello reached on a throwing error by South Carolina sophomore Joey Pankake, Schwanke moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt and Wise moved him to third with a ground out.

Morris came up to the plate, and with two outs and two strikes, he laid down a squeeze bunt that South Carolina’s pitcher, senior Nolan Belcher, couldn’t handle, allowing Ficociello to score.

They were not finished, as Mahan singled and sophomore Joe Serrano reached on another Pankake error, allowing Morris to score. Senior Matt Vinson hit a solo home run in the eighth, putting the Razorbacks up 4-1.

An error by Anderson allowed the Gamecocks to score a run in their half of the eight inning, bringing the final score to 4-2.

On the mound, junior Ryne Stanek needed only 124 pitches to toss a complete game three-hitter, giving up no earned runs, one walk and striking out seven. Two of the three hits Stanek allowed were infield hits.

Arkansas completed the sweep of No. 6 South Carolina with an 11 inning 5-3 win Sunday.

Arkansas took a 3-1 lead in the fourth with RBI-singles by Schwanke and Morris.

That lead held until Anderson committed his fourth error of the series, extending the seventh inning. An RBI-single by junior Erik Payne cut Arkansas’ lead to one run and knocked their starter, senior Randall Fant, out of the game.

Junior Brandon Moore then walked two consecutive batters, allowing South Carolina to tie the game.

After a scoreless 10th inning, Arkansas loaded the bases with two outs in the 11th with Vinson coming up to bat. He hit a single to left center to score two runs, which proved to be the game winning runs for the Razorbacks.

Junior Colby Suggs picked up the win by pitching the 11th inning. He allowed a leadoff single, struck out two batters on full counts and gave up a walk before getting Pankake to ground out to end the game.

Fant went 6.2 innings and gave up one earned run, one walk and struck out seven in a no decision.