FAYETTEVILLE -- Failing four times to score with the bases loaded left Arkansas a run short Thursday despite 13 hits in a 3-2 Southeastern Conference loss to South Carolina before 6,329 fans at Baum Stadium.
Arkansas (25-10, 8-5) hit into three double plays and replaced starter Blaine Knight (6-0) after four innings. The loss opened up a three-game series with the Gamecocks (20-14, 6-7), previously the bottom team in the SEC East standings. It was Arkansas' first home SEC loss this season and first loss this season in an SEC series opener.
"Just kind of a game for us of missed opportunities," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "We couldn't come through with the big hit. We did a good job of getting guys on just couldn't get the big hit to bring them in. And give credit to their pitchers. They wiggled out of a couple of jams and held on to that lead."
Knight threw 70 pitches through four innings and was visited by pitching coach Wes Johnson after giving up two hits in the fourth inning. He left a 2-1 lead to reliever Barrett Loseke (0-1).
Loseke yielded a leadoff infield single by Noah Campbell to start the fifth inning. Carlos Cortes immediately followed with a two-run home run.
It was all South Carolina needed, even as Loseke and fellow Razorback relievers Evan Lee, Cody Scroggins and Kole Ramage shut out the Gamecocks thereafter.
Van Horn explained Knight was physically OK but struggling in the coach's view. Knight allowed six hits in four innings, while striking out four batters and issuing no walks.
"Blaine just really didn't have very good stuff," Van Horn said. "You could tell they were on him pretty good and we just felt like there was no reason to send him back out for the fifth. He had thrown 70 pitches and labored to get through that first inning.
"He threw a lot of pitches. So, we kicked it to the bullpen and, honestly, they did a really good job. They only gave up two runs on one swing. We didn't make a play at short and the guy hits a home run and we're down a run."
The Razorbacks, ranked second or third among the several national polls, were scheduled for the second game of the series Friday night. Heavy rain at 5 p.m. Friday, and more projected into the night, caused the game to be postponed. The series is now scheduled to conclude following a doubleheader today beginning at noon.
Knight yielded two hits in both of the first two innings. The hits in the second produced South Carolina's 1-0 lead after Justin Row singled, was bunted over to second and No. 9 hitter Hunter Taylor hit a double to left field.
Knight pitched a 1-2-3 third and scoreless fourth despite two Gamecocks singles.
Arkansas tied it, 1-1, off starter Logan Chapman in the second. One-out singles by Luke Bonfield and Dominic Fletcher put runners at first and third for Grant Koch, who hit a sacrifice fly. Jordan McFarland and Carson Shaddy both walked, but Jax Biggers left the bases loaded with a pop-up to shortstop.
Eric Cole singled off Chapman's glove to open the Arkansas third. Casey Martin doubled with Cole scoring as left fielder Carlos Cortes bobbled the hit. Martin later attempted to score on a flyout by Koch, but he was doubled up.
"A hustle play," Van Horn said, approving of Martin taking the chance. "The left fielder (Cortes) made a perfect throw."
Biggers batted with the bases loaded again in the fourth, but hit into an inning-ending double play, squandering singles by Fletcher, Koch and Shaddy.
"We hit into a big double play that was kind of a killer for us in the middle of the game when we had a chance to blow it open," Van Horn said.
Loseke finished the fifth with two strikeouts. He struck out another in a 1-2-3 sixth before Lee started the seventh.
South Carolina handed the Razorbacks their third bases-loaded opportunity in the fifth inning. Again the Hogs failed to cash in.
Chapman threw 73 pitches through four innings before reliever Sawyer Bridges (2-0) was put in by South Carolina. Bridges yielded a leadoff single by Cole and a bloop single by Heston Kjerstad with one out in the sixth inning.
Bonfield hit into what should have been a double play, but shortstop L.J. Tolbert bobble the grounder before forcing Kjerstad out at second. A catcher's interference, officially an error, on Fletcher's at-bat loaded the bases. Koch, granted one reprieve when catcher Taylor dropped his foul pop-up, flied to right as Arkansas left the bases loaded again.
South Carolina turned its third double play in the seventh inning as three Arkansas hits and a walk still produced no runs.
Martin beat out an infield single with one out in the ninth before Kjerstad struck out. Bonfield, after an umpires' review, was ruled out at first on his grounder to third to end the game.
Both of the games today are scheduled for seven innings rather than nine, following the SEC policy for makeup doubleheaders on the last scheduled day of a conference series. The second game will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
Sports on 04/14/2018