FAYETTEVILLE -- Things went from bad to worse quickly for Arkansas on Saturday night.
Kentucky scored 10 runs in its first three at-bats and cruised to a 16-4 victory in front of an announced crowd of 6,145 at Baum Stadium.
"Not an enjoyable night for anybody here that was a Razorback fan, much less the guys on the team or the coaches," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said.
Kentucky battered Arkansas starter Dominic Taccolini (5-3) for 8 runs and 6 hits in just 2 2/3 innings. Jacob Stone relieved Taccolini after the Wildcats took a 6-0 lead with two outs in the third.
Van Horn said it wasn't a good sign when Taccolini led off the game by walking the leadoff hitter on four consecutive pitches.
"Four pitches and three of them were in the same spot, ankle-high," Van Horn said of Taccolini, who walked four. "You have got to make an adjustment. Off and rolling they were.
"Obviously Dominic didn't have much of anything. The main issue is he just couldn't locate his fastball. I think he walked four and hit a batter, all in that 2 2/3 of an inning. He was in trouble the whole time he was out there."
Six Arkansas pitchers combined to walk 11 and hit six batters.
The Wildcats (19-14, 5-8) outhit the Razorbacks 15-7 a day after losing 5-3 to the Razorbacks. Ka'ai Tom led the Wildcats, going 3 for 5 and driving in 5.
"Certainly after Friday night you feel like you need to come out and set the tone and play with confidence, and I think we did that," Kentucky Coach Gary Henderson said. "I thought we did a good job at the plate. Things went our way, and I'm glad to get the win."
Rick Nomura was 2 for 4 for Arkansas (19-16, 6-8). Tyler Spoon was 0 for 3, ending his 11-game hitting streak, and Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 4 and extended his hitting streak to eight games.
Kentucky starter Dustin Beggs (4-2) kept the Razorbacks' offense quiet. The junior right-hander gave up 1 earned run and scattered 5 hits while striking out 6 in 8 innings.
"Dustin did a nice job of mixing his pitches," Henderson said. "He got ahead well, and when he really need to make a pitch he was able to make a pitch. The key was being able to throw secondary stuff for a strike."
The Wildcats used RBI singles from Tom and Dorian Hairston in the three-run first inning and had seven hits in the seven-run third, including a three-run double from Tom and singles from JaVon Shelby, Zach Arnold, Kyle Barrett and Evan White.
Stone quieted the Wildcats in the fourth, but Kentucky used an RBI triple from Barrett and a sacrifice fly from Tom to make it 12-0.
A fielder's choice RBI by Barrett made it 13-0 in the sixth off Jonah Patten and a two-run home run from Shelby helped make it 16-1.
Arkansas didn't score until in the sixth when Clark Eagan was hit by a pitch and scored two outs later on an error.
The Razorbacks scored a run in the eighth when Luke Bonfield drove in Clark Eagan with an RBI groundout. Benintendi also scored on the play to make it 16-3.
Arkansas set the final score in the ninth when Nomura doubled and scored on an RBI single from Carson Shaddy.
The teams close out the three-game series at 12:05 p.m. today.
SUN BELT
UALR 13, TEXAS STATE 7
Tanner Rockwell collected 5 hits to tie a school record, Jake Gillean had 4 hits and drove in 4 and UALR stayed unbeaten in Sun Belt Conference games at home on Saturday.
UALR (13-18, 10-6) scored five runs in the second inning and eight runs in the first three to take control in beating Texas State (16-17-1, 8-6), which moved the Trojans to 7-0 against conference foes at Gary Hogan Field.
Rockwell drove in three runs, Petr Sila went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI and Justin Steelmon went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI for the Trojans.
Cory Malcom (4-2) earned the victory after giving up 5 runs on 6 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
TROY 3-4, ARKANSAS STATE 1-2
Arkansas State (14-19, 4-12) dropped a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader Saturday to Troy (19-17, 8-6) at Riddle-Pace Field in Troy, Ala.
ASU’s Adam Grantham (0-1) struck out 8 in 6 innings in the first game, allowing 2 hits and 2 earned runs.
Austin Baker, who went 4-for-7 in the doubleheader, scored the first run of the second game in the top of the first inning on Matt Burgess’ sacrifice fly to give the Red Wolves an early 1-0 lead.
ASU’s Jon Glidewell (2-1) allowed 2 runs on 3 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
SOUTHLAND
NICHOLLS STATE 9, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 3
Nicholls State (20-14-1, 9-8) pounded out 16 hits and evened its Southland Conference series with UCA (18-11, 9-5) at a game apiece with a victory Saturday at Bear Stadium in Conway.
The Colonels, who were shut out 7-0 in Friday night’s opener, scored in six of the first seven innings. UCA got a leadoff home run from junior center fielder Tyler Langley in the first inning but did not score again until the sixth inning.
UCA starter Brandon Hagerla (4-2) went 2 1/3 innings, allowing 7 hits and 5 runs.
SWAC
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 7-4, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 6-3
Catcher Gabe Munoz drove in four runs in the opening game and starter Blake Estep went 8 1/3 innings to pick up the victory in the second game as UAPB (17-12, 11-3 SWAC) swept Prairie View A&M (8-24, 4-12) in a doubleheader at Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.
Munoz went 2 for 4 to lead UAPB in the opener, when the Golden Lions jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first inning and never trailed again.
Shortstop Roberto Colon went 1 for 4 with 2 RBI for UAPB, and Chris Burns drove in the Golden Lions other run.
Andre Davis was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI and 1 run scored to pace UAPB’s offense. Josh Cassidy and Colin Drury drove in the Golden Lions other two runs.
Sports on 04/12/2015