Arkansas recorded 15 hits -- a season high in conference play -- and beat Texas A&M 12-2 to snap a four-game losing streak Saturday at Baum Stadium.
Arkansas starting pitcher Ryne Stanek (5-2) earned the win by striking out a season-high nine batters in six innings of work. The junior right-hander allowed one run on five hits and got a nice cushion from the Razorbacks’ offense early in the game.
The Razorbacks scored six of its 12 runs in the first three innings, including three runs in the first, in front of a season-high attendance of 10,477.
Matt Vinson doubled and Tyler Spoon singled with one out to put two on for Brian Anderson, who was 3-for-4 Friday, but never batted with a runner on board in the series opener. In the second game, Anderson doubled to score Vinson and he and Spoon were batted in by Farris on a two-out single.
In the next inning, Joe Serrano singled and scored on a RBI single by Vinson. In the third, Farris recorded his third and fourth RBIs with a two-run home run that scored Dominic Ficociello.
Farris, a freshman, drove in Ficociello again in the seventh and later scored on a RBI single by Brett McAfee.
The second baseman, Farris, finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs and scored two runs.
Texas A&M (22-18, 7-10 Southeastern Conference) cut into Arkansas’ lead in the fourth when Hunter Melton drove in Krey Bratsen, but Ficociello answered in the fifth inning with a two-run home run off of the scoreboard in right-center field. Anderson walked to begin the inning and finished the game 1-for-2 with a RBI, drew two leadoff walks, was hit by a pitch and scored twice.
The Razorbacks added their final two runs in the eighth when Serrano, who finished the game 2-for-4, doubled and scored on a RBI triple by Vinson. Vinson finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBIs and scored his second run later that inning on a RBI fielder’s choice that was hit by Spoon.
Arkansas (26-15, 10-7 SEC) recorded multiple runs in five different innings Saturday after not recording a hit in the final four innings of the series opener.
Arkansas reliever Michael Gunn allowed his first run in 20 innings in the ninth when J.B. Moss scored on a RBI double off the bat of Brandon Wood. He struck out two batters and earned the three-inning save.
Matt Kent (2-2) started the game and took the loss for Texas A&M. The right-hander allowed four runs on six hits in two innings of work.
Arkansas and Texas A&M will play in the rubber match at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Baum Stadium. Senior left-hander Randall Fant will start the game for the Razorbacks and Rafael Pineda gets the nod for the Aggies.