COLLEGE BASEBALL

Hogs' late rally keeps roll going

Arkansas outfielder Carson Shaddy slides into first base during a game against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas outfielder Carson Shaddy slides into first base during a game against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The good vibes continued for Arkansas' baseball team Tuesday night.

The resurgent Razorbacks rallied from a three-run deficit to beat No. 22 Oklahoma State 7-6 before an announced crowd of 3,157.

Arkansas (25-16) won for the fourth time in five games after enduring a 2-8 stretch.

"I'm just proud of the guys," Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said. "We've been playing pretty good for the last week or so."

Carson Shaddy put the Razorbacks ahead 6-5 in the eighth inning with a one-out triple to the right-center field gap to score Clark Eagan, who doubled and went to third on a balk.

Shaddy -- who scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Luke Bonfield to make it 7-5 -- said he tripled on a 3-2 slider from Jake Cowan.

"It was in the dirt. I used a pitching wedge," Shaddy said with a laugh. "I don't know how I hit it. That low, just put your bat head out there and kind of pray."

Arkansas avenged a 5-4 loss at Oklahoma State (25-15) on March 29.

"It was an awesome win," Bonfield said. "That's a really good team, and we lost a tough one to them earlier in the year. Everyone did their job really, really well. That's what ultimately got us the win."

Freshman right-hander Blaine Knight -- the Razorbacks' seventh pitcher -- picked up his first save when he got Colin Simpson on a popout to third baseman Cody Scroggins. Knight entered the game when the Cowboys got the tying run on first base after a double by Donnie Walton and RBI single by Garrett Benge cut Arkansas' lead to 7-6.

"It was a pressure situation, but I kind of like that," Knight said. "I wasn't overly nervous.

"I was more excited than anything to come in and get the opportunity and know they have the confidence in me to get that last out for us."

Van Horn said Knight may move into the closer's role this weekend against No. 2 Texas A&M with Zach Jackson now in the starting rotation.

"I'd love it," Knight said. "It's a big role and definitely big shoes to fill, but I'd get in there and do the best I can."

Oklahoma State led 5-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.

"We did a nice job of battling back when we got down three," Van Horn said. "We just kept putting pressure on them and scoring runs.

"Obviously, we needed every run we could get."

Collin Theroux's two-run home run off Weston Rogers after Jon Littell walked put the Cowboys ahead 5-2 in the sixth inning.

"No one was really stressing," Shaddy said of trailing by three runs. "Everybody was just playing baseball and being loose. That's the way to do it."

Arkansas scored runs in the bottom of the inning -- on singles by Rick Nomura, Grant Koch and Eric Cole, a sacrifice bunt by Scroggins, and a groundout by Eagan -- to pull within 5-4.

Oklahoma State pitcher Blake Battenfield got Shaddy on a popout with Cole on third to end the sixth inning.

Nomura's RBI single tied the game 5-5 in the seventh inning and gave the Razorbacks runners on first and second, but they were stranded when Tucker Pennell struck out and Cole grounded out.

Theroux's two-out double off Doug Willey scored Colin Simpson from second and put Oklahoma State ahead 3-2 in the fourth inning. Willey got J.R. Davis on a flyout to right to leave Dustin Williams at third and Theroux at second.

Walton's two-out home run off Arkansas starter Isaiah Campbell tied it 2-2 in the third inning.

Bonfield hit a two-run home run to give the Razorbacks a 2-1 lead in the first inning.

The Razorbacks then loaded the bases with two outs against Oklahoma State starter Michael Mertz, but he got Cole on a groundout to end the inning.

Oklahoma State went ahead 1-0 with an unearned run in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Davis reached on an error by Eagan at first base, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Corey Hassel and scored on Walton's single.

Arkansas left eight runners on base in the first six innings.

"Early in the game we couldn't get the big hit," Van Horn said. "We had to find a way to score, then finally those hits started happening for us late."

Sports on 04/27/2016

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