FAYETTEVILLE -- Eastern Illinois scored 10 runs against Arkansas' bullpen in the seventh and eighth innings Sunday, and the Panthers' baseball team defeated the sixth-ranked Razorbacks 12-3 in the series finale at Baum-Walker Stadium.
EIU (4-2) avoided a series sweep after losing its first two games at Arkansas by a combined score of 23-5. The Razorbacks (5-2) had a four-game win streak snapped.
The Panthers trailed 3-2 after six innings, but scored 4 two-out runs in the seventh against Arkansas right-hander Cody Adcock to take the lead.
EIU added six more runs in the eighth against left-handers Zack Morris and Parker Coil, and right-hander Gage Wood.
Arkansas' bullpen ERA ballooned to 9.95 after its second poor showing in two weekends. Eight relievers allowed 14 earned runs against TCU on Feb. 18 at the College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas.
The Razorbacks' relief pitchers have allowed 35 runs in 31 2/3 innings through 7 games.
"There were just some really, really big mistakes made as far as the count 1-2, 0-2, giving up home-run balls on elevated breaking balls that are supposed to be in the dirt or supposed to be chased high pitches," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "I think most of their runs early [in the rally] happened with two outs. Credit to them, they came out swinging. They got after it and they pitched extremely well."
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EIU right-hander Ky Matthews-Hampton allowed 3 runs, 3 hits and 1 walk, and struck out 4 in 7 innings to earn his second win. Matthews-Hampton averaged 10.4 pitches per inning and retired the first hitter he faced each inning.
"He was as good as I've ever seen anybody," seventh-year EIU coach Jason Anderson said. "This might have been the best-pitched game in the history of the program."
Matthews-Hampton, a senior from Australia, has allowed three runs through 13 innings.
"Honestly, I went out there and kind of just blacked out," Matthews-Hampton said of his performance. "I feel like it went pretty well. I had my sinker working early and I kind of just rode that, and when they started to get on that I just switched to try to keep them off balance, and it seemed to work well. I mean, three runs in seven innings, I would take that any day of the week."
Adcock retired the first two EIU batters in the eighth, then allowed four consecutive two-out hits beginning with Lincoln Riley's single to center field. Riley scored on Chris Worcester's RBI double to tie the game 3-3, then Ryan Ignoffo and Cole Gober hit back-to-back home runs to give the Panthers a 6-3 lead.
Ignoffo's homer to left field came on a 0-2 breaking ball.
"You've got to be able to finish people," Van Horn said. "It doesn't matter if you can get to two strikes in two pitches or three pitches -- you've got to be able to put people away."
Gober, the clean-up hitter, homered twice and finished 4 for 5 with 4 RBI. He was a triple away from hitting for the cycle.
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"We actually got some hits with runners in scoring position, which really set us up," Gober said. "We just kept passing the bat down the lineup."
Morris retired one of the four hitters he faced in the eighth. Pinch hitter Ben Gallaher singled to right-center field to lead off, then went from first base to third when Morris did not cover the base on a bunt fielded by third baseman Reese Robinett. Morris committed an error when he threw past first base after fielding a one-out sacrifice bunt.
It was the second consecutive rough outing for Morris, who also struggled during scrimmages in January and early February.
"I don't know what's going on," Van Horn said of Morris, who was one of the Razorbacks' best relievers last year. "I guess from the side it looks like his location is not very good."
Wood, a freshman, twice threw a wild pitch and walked both batters he faced in 10 pitches.
Arkansas was nearly run ruled. The Panthers had runners at second and third base after they had taken a 12-3 lead, but Coil kept the deficit from reaching 10 runs by fielding the final two outs of the eighth. Coil outraced Dominic Dilello to first base by a step for the final out of the inning.
Coil, a freshman, allowed 1 run, 2 hits and 1 walk while recording 2 outs. Freshman right-hander Cooper Dossett worked around a walk to pitch a scoreless ninth.
"Toward the end we just basically put those freshmen out there and gave them another opportunity," Van Horn said, "and some of them did the same thing they did last weekend, which was not throw the ball over the plate."
Arkansas led 3-1 after John Bolton and Tavian Josenberger recorded two-out RBI hits in the fifth inning. The scoring chances were few and far between for the Razorbacks, who were out-hit 14-4.
The Panthers played solid defensively to take away multiple hits, most notably a potential home run-robbing catch by the center fielder Riley after Robinett drove a ball to left-center field to lead off the fifth inning.
EIU had a chance to break through early against Arkansas left-hander Hunter Hollan, but scored only once when Hollan allowed 2 hits and walked 2 batters during a 30-pitch first inning. Hollan stranded the bases loaded.
He settled in from there and retired 14 of 15 hitters before Gober's solo home run cut Arkansas' lead to 3-2 in the sixth.
The Razorbacks held EIU to seven runs through 21 2/3 innings prior to Gober's first homer.
"I think the pressure was off," Anderson said. "We've been tight. We just haven't got the ball rolling as far as scoring runs."
Starting his first game in Fayetteville, Hollan allowed 2 runs, 6 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 4 in 5 2/3 innings.
Jace Bohrofen's 379-foot home run to right field in the second inning tied the game 1-1. Bohrofen had three extra-base hits over the final two games of the series.
Arkansas will take the next two days off before returning to action Wednesday with a scheduled 3 p.m. home game against Illinois State.
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NoneAt a glance
NO. 6 ARKANSAS BASEBALL VS. ILLINOIS STATE
WHEN 3 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE Baum-Walker Stadium, Fayetteville
RECORDS Illinois State 4-3;
Arkansas 5-2
TV None
STREAMING SEC Network-Plus
RADIO Razorback Sports Network
SHORT HOPS EIU coach Jason Anderson recorded his second victory at Baum-Walker Stadium. His first victory in Fayetteville came in 2016 and was the first victory of his coaching career. … The Panthers improved to 3-34 all-time against the Razorbacks. … Arkansas scored 2 two-out runs Sunday to bring its total to 29 two-out runs in five games.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY Off
TUESDAY Off
WEDNESDAY Illinois State, 3 p.m.
THURSDAY Off
FRIDAY Wright State, 3 p.m.
SATURDAY Wright State, 3 p.m.
SUNDAY Wright State, 1 p.m.