FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas baseball team, which will play Oklahoma during the 2020 season on Feb. 28 in Houston, got an early look at the Sooners in an exhibition game Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Fortunately for the Razorbacks, this one didn't count on the record as the Sooners won 4-2 before an announced crowd of 6,378.
That was the score after nine innings. After a brief break, the teams were scheduled to play five more innings.
Arkansas had six hits in nine innings while Oklahoma had 13.
Heston Kjerstad hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the ninth inning against Jason Ruffcorn and scored on Cole Austin's single to pull Arkansas within 4-2.
The Razorbacks got the tying runs on base when Ruffcorn hit Casey Opitz, but Ruffcorn left them stranded when he got Dominic Tomez to ground into a fielder's choice and struck out Bryce Matthews. It was Matthews' third strikeout.
The Sooners made it 4-1 in the ninth against Elijah Trest when Brandon Zaragoza, who went 3 for 4 with a walk, hit a two-out single to score Tyler Hardman.
Oklahoma hit three consecutive singles off Jacob Burton -- with Peyton Graham driving in a run -- to push its lead to 3-1 in the eighth inning.
Marshall Denton came in to pitch for Arkansas with the bases loaded, struck out Tanner Tredaway and got Kendall Pettis on a groundout to keep the margin at two runs.
[GALLERY: See photos from the game » arkansasonline.com/921hogsbaseball]
Arkansas got the tying run to third base with two outs in the seventh inning and the Sooners ahead 2-1 when Opitz singled and went to third on an error by second baseman Conor McKenna, but Wyatt Olds struck out Matthews.
Oklahoma loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning against Kole Ramage, but he got Hardman to hit into a double play to keep the Sooners' lead at 2-1.
Arkansas pulled within 2-1 with a run in the fifth inning against Oklahoma pitcher Brad Demco when Tamez singled in Austin.
Tredaway hit the first pitch of the fifth inning for a home run over the left-field fence off Connor Noland to put Oklahoma ahead 2-0.
Noland, pitching his second inning, then got the next three batters.
Oklahoma took a 1-0 lead in the second inning against Arkansas pitcher Patrick Wicklander.
Zaragoza drew a one-out walk. After Graham lined out to left field, ninth-place hitter Carter LaValley hit a double to drive in Zaragoza.
Wicklander then pitched a scoreless third inning.
Oklahoma put runners on first and second base to start the fourth inning against Noland when Brady Harlan beat out a bunt single and McKenna singled to left field.
Both runners advanced on Zaragoza's groundout, but Noland kept them stranded by getting Graham on a soft liner to second baseman Jacob Nesbit and striking out LaValley.
Arkansas starter Kevin Kopps had a scoreless first inning but threw 21 pitches and left two runners on base, then was replaced by Wicklander in the second inning.
Sports on 09/21/2019