SEC BASEBALL

Razorbacks come out swinging

Arkansas starter Ryne Stanek delivers a pitch Saturday, April 20, 2013, against Texas A&M at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas starter Ryne Stanek delivers a pitch Saturday, April 20, 2013, against Texas A&M at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas let out four games of frustration in a big way Saturday night.

No. 12 Arkansas pounded out 15 hits, the most in an SEC game this season, and Ryne Stanek struck out a season-high nine as the Razorbacks cruised to a 12-2 victory over Texas A&M in front of 10,477 at Baum Stadium, the fifth-largest crowd in stadium history.

The victory ended Arkansas’ four-game losing streak,which included an extra-inning loss to LSU in the series finale last weekend, two losses at Nebraska and Friday’s 5-3 loss to Texas A&M when Arkansas gave up a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning.

“After the way the game ended [Friday] night, the guys came out with some energy and they played well,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “They didn’t mope around and feel sorry for themselves. They just knew we needed a win in the worst way.”

Arkansas (26-15, 10-7 SEC) took control early.

Stanek, who has a 0.70 ERA in SEC play, retired the first six batters he faced and the Razorbacks had nine hits through three at-bats and led 6-0. The early lead allowed Stanek to focus on attacking the strike zone.

“It allows you to be more aggressive on the mound,” Stanek said. “I was able to throw a lot of pitches over the plate and try to induce contact early.”

The Aggies (22-18, 7-10) didn’t get a hit until the fourth inning, when they scored their first run on a single by Hunter Melton.

Stanek (5-2) went 6 innings, throwing 114 pitches and giving up 1 run, 5 hits and 2 walks to go along with 9 strikeouts. Michael Gunn recorded his first save, working the final three innings.

“The last two Fridays we’ve really needed a win,” Van Horn said. “Stanek came out again and gave us a great outing and then the offense kicked it into gear and scored some runs. It let us feel good about where we were.”

Jordan Farris, starting at second base, had his best game offensively, going 3 for 4 with 5 RBI, including a two run home run in the third. Matt Vinson was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI.

“I was just being aggressive and looking for good pitches,” Farris said. “This feels good. We’ve had some tough losses before this, but to get this win feels really nice. We wanted to be aggressive tonight and we got the job done.”

An RBI double by Brian Anderson and a two-run single by Farris, to go along with a double by Vinson and single by Tyler Spoon, gave Arkansas a 3-0 first-inning lead.

That lead grew to 4-0 in the second on back-to-back two-out singles by Joe Serrano and Vinson, which chased Texas A&M starter Matt Kent (2-2).

The Razorbacks were just as productive against Aggies reliever Corey Ray. Dominic Ficociello hit a one-out single to right and Farris followed with his powering home run over the left-field wall to make it 6-0 in the third.

Stanek didn’t allow a hit until Krey Bratsen’s infield single to lead off the fourth. Bratsen scored an out later on a single by Hunter Melton, ending Stanek’s 18-inning scoreless streak.

A two-run home by Ficociello pushed Arkansas’ lead to 8-1 in the fifth. A double by Farris and a single by Brett McAfee helped make it 10-1 in the seventh, and a double by Joe Serrano and triple by Vinson made it 12-1 in the eighth.

“A&M kept battling and got Stanek’s pitch count up,” Van Horn said. “We would have liked him to go another inning or two.

“It was a good win for our team.”

GEORGIA 3-4, VANDERBILT 1-15

ATHENS, Ga. - No. 2 Vanderbilt rebounded from a 3-1 loss in the opener with a convincing 15-4 victory in the nightcap to earn a doubleheader split Saturday against Georgia.

Blake Dieterich earned the victory in relief for Georgia (15-25, 4-13 in the first game, allowing no runs and giving up just 2 hits in 2 1/3 innings. Starter Kevin Ziomek took the loss for Vanderbilt (34-6, 15-2) after giving up three runs in eight innings. Jarrett Brown came on in the ninth to earn his first career save.

The loss snapped an 11-game consecutive SEC winning streak for the Commodores.

Patrick Boling took the loss in the second game for the Bulldogs, while Tyler Beede earned the victory for the Commodores after giving up 4 runs and striking out 7 through 7 innings.

Georgia’s Kyle Farmer went a combined 3 for 5 in the two games, including a pair of home runs to go along with four RBI and four runs scored. Vanderbilt hit five home runs in the second game, including a pair by Zander Wiel in his first career start.

SOUTH CAROLINA 5-7, KENTUCKY 2-6

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Brison Celek’s RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted 14th-ranked South Carolina past 17th-ranked Kentucky in the second game of a doubleheader at Carolina Stadium on Saturday night.

The victory clinched a doubleheader sweep and the weekend series for the Gamecocks (30-10, 10-7).

Left-hander Tyler Webb (2-1) earned the victory, pitching 3 scoreless innings of relief and allowing just 1 hit while striking out 4.

Trevor Gott (4-1) took the loss for Kentucky (24-14, 7-10).

After Kentucky got a two-run homer from senior Zac Zellers to open the scoring in the top of the sixth inning of the first game, South Carolina scored four runs on five hits in the bottom half of the frame to key the victory.

South Carolina hit home runs on back-to-back pitches by shortstop Joey Pankake and first-basemen LB Dantzler in the bottom of the sixth. Max Schrock recorded two hits for the Gamecocks, including a double following Dantzler’s home run in the sixth. Pankake, Dantzler, Schrock and Brison Celek each had one run and RBI for the Gamecocks.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 6, AUBURN 0

STARKVILLE, Miss. - No. 10 Mississippi State (32-10, 10-8) shut out Auburn (24-16, 6-12) on six hits in the series finale on Saturday.

Mississippi State starter Jacob Lindgren (4-1) went 8 innings, scattering 5 hits and 2 while striking out 11.

Auburn’s Will Kendall (0-5) gave up all 5 Bulldog runs while surrendering 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out one in just 2 1/3 innings.

OLE MISS 6, TENNESSEE 4

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Lead off home runs in back-to-back innings provided the spark the Rebels needed on Saturday as No. 17 Ole Miss (28-12, 9-8) rallied to defeat Tennessee (17-20, 5-12).

The victory gave the Rebels the weekend series as Will Jamison and Sikes Orvis hit home runs in the seventh and eighth as Ole Miss rallied for the victory. Jamison’s solo shot in the seventh, the first of his career, tied the game at 3-3 before Orvis put the Rebels in front for good with his solo shot to open the eighth.

FLORIDA 4, MISSOURI 3, 15 INNINGS

COLUMBIA, Mo. - A fielder’s choice by Casey Turgeon scored Harrison Bader with the decisive run in the 15th inning as Florida (22-18, 10-7) extended its winning streak to eight games and clinched the weekend series over Missouri (12-22, 4-13) Saturday afternoon at Taylor Stadium.

Florida’s bullpen tossed 12 2/3 scoreless innings, with sophomore Bobby Poyner (2-0) earning the decision.

With the game tied at 3-3 in the 15th, Bader reached on a one-out fielding error by Missouri third baseman Shane Segovia. Cody Dent followed with a single to center field and Richie Martin drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Turgeon’s grounder to second base drove in Bader with the go-ahead run.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Texas A&M 5, Arkansas 3 Auburn 3-3, Mississippi St. 1-6 LSU 5, Alabama 0 Florida 8, Missouri 6 Mississippi 5, Tennessee 0 Mississippi St. 6, Auburn 3

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Arkansas 12, Texas A&M 2 Georgia 3-4, Vanderbilt 1-15 South Carolina 5-7, Kentucky 2-6 Florida 4, Missouri 3 Mississippi 6, Tennessee 4 Mississippi St. 6, Auburn 0 LSU 11, Alabama 8, 16 innings

TODAY’S GAMES All times Central

Florida at Missouri, noon Kentucky at South Carolina, 12:30 p.m.

Texas A&M at Arkansas, 1 p.m.

LSU at Alabama, 1 p.m.

Mississippi at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Vanderbilt at Georgia, 1 p.m.

Today’s game

TEXAS A&M AT ARKANSAS WHEN 1 p.m.

WHERE Baum Stadium, Fayetteville TV ESPN2 RADIO Razorback Sports Network, which includes KABZ-FM, 103.7, Little Rock;

KQSM-FM, 92.1, Fayetteville; KURMAM, 790, Bentonville-Rogers; KASRFM, 92.7, Conway; KHGG-FM, 103.1, Fort Smith; KELD-FM, 106.5, El Dorado;

KOMT-FM, 107.5, Mountain Home. Not all games will be carried by affiliates.

Check local listings.

INTERNET www.arkansasrazorbacks.com PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas: Randall Fant (LHP, 2-1, 2.36 ERA); Texas A&M: Rafael Pineda (RHP. 3-3, 3.58) THE WEEK AHEAD TODAY vs. Texas A&M, 1 p.m.

MONDAY off TUESDAY vs. Oklahoma, 6:35 p.m.

WEDNESDAY off THURSDAY off FRIDAY at Georgia, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY at Georgia, 11 a.m.

Sports, Pages 25 on 04/21/2013

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