SEC Baseball

Hogs outlast Dogs to take road series

— Arkansas scored five runs in the top of the 11th inning and the Razorbacks overcame several late rallies to beat Mississippi State 8-5 on Sunday at Dudy Noble Park.

Joe Serrano's pinch-hit fielder's choice RBI gave No. 3 Arkansas the go-ahead run, scoring Bo Bigham, who led off the inning with a double. Jimmy Bosco followed with a two-run double and Jake Wise had a RBI single into right field where Demarcus Henderson commited an error to score Bosco as well.

Arkansas (22-3, 5-1 SEC) won the best-of-three game series despite its first Friday loss of the season.

The Razorbacks led 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Bulldogs scored on a two-out single off Arkansas closer Barrett Astin.

Arkansas shortstop Tim Carver fielded the ball and appeared to have the force out at second base, but flipped the ball to Bigham at second base instead of stepping on the bag himself.

Bulldogs third baseman Sam Frost, who reached on a two-out single, got to the bag ahead of the tag allowing shortstop Adam Frazier to score from third base.

The run was the first given up in 22 2/3 innings on the mound this season for Astin.

Arkansas had taken the lead on Ficociello's RBI double in the seventh inning. The Razorbacks trailed 2-0 after the second inning, but tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth on RBIs by Derrick Bleeker and Bosco.

Arkansas' bullpen recorded 23 consecutive outs before giving up a run on Sunday. Starter Randall Fant gave up two runs in the bottom of the second inning, continuing an up-and-down year on the mound.

Nolan Sanburn (two innings), Brandon Moore (three innings) and Colby Suggs (one inning) each recorded scoreless outings, while Cade Lynch recorded the final two outs in the 11th after Trent Daniel gave up a pair of runs and left the game with the bases loaded.

Arkansas' bullpen worked out of several jams. The Razorbacks turned a double play with the bases loaded to avoid further damage in the second and a triple play - their first since 1998 - to work around base runners in the fourth inning.

After allowing a leadoff walk in the 10th, Suggs retired three straight batters to end the threat, including two strikeouts with a runner in scoring position.

Mississippi State (16-9, 2-4 SEC) scored two runs in the bottom of the second. The Bulldogs recorded two hits and a walk to load the bases and chased Fant when Brayden Jones was hit by a pitch to give Mississippi State a 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs added another run when Matthew Britton hit into a double play off Sanburn later in the inning.

The Razorbacks won't play in the midweek. Arkansas will play LSU in a three-game series beginning Friday night in Baton Rouge, La. The No. 11 Tigers lost twice this weekend to Auburn.

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