Arkansas sweeps Gonzaga with 9-5 win

Arkansas center fielder Christian Franklin (25) is congratulated by assistant coach Nate Thompson after hitting a home run during a game against Gonzaga on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, in Fayetteville.
Arkansas center fielder Christian Franklin (25) is congratulated by assistant coach Nate Thompson after hitting a home run during a game against Gonzaga on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, in Fayetteville.

Arkansas 9, Gonzaga 5 - Final

Zebulon Vermillion retired the side in the ninth inning and the Razorbacks have won seven in a row to start the year.

Matt Goodheart, with 3 RBI, is the hitter of the game, although Robert Moore had another good day at the plate (2-for-2, 2 RBI). Marshall Denton had a huge inning in relief in the fourth.

We'll have more at WholeHogSports.com soon.

Arkansas 9, Gonzaga 5 - End 8th Inning

Christian Franklin walked with one out, but Casey Opitz hit into a double play to end the inning.

Gonzaga will send its top of the order to the plate in the ninth to face Arkansas' Zebulon Vermillion, who is facing live hitting for just the second time this year.

Arkansas 9, Gonzaga 5 - Middle 8th Inning

Zack Morris retired Gonzaga in order in the eighth. That was the first 1-2-3 inning for an Arkansas pitcher since Caleb Bolden retired the first six he faced in the first and second innings.

Zebulon Vermillion is warming up and it appears he will pitch the ninth for the Razorbacks.

Casey Martin, Christian Franklin and Casey Opitz will bat for Arkansas in the bottom of the inning.

Arkansas 9, Gonzaga 5 - End 7th Inning

The Razorbacks stranded two in the seventh when Matt Goodheart grounded out with runners on the corners.

Robert Moore and Heston Kjerstad both walked in the inning - Moore to lead off the inning and Kjerstad with two outs. When Kjerstad walked, Moore went first to third, alertly noticing that the third baseman was nowhere near the bag. Gonzaga had the shift on against Kjerstad, which had the third baseman, Brett Harris, playing more as a shortstop and was lackadaisical getting back to the bag.

Arkansas 9, Gonzaga 5 - Middle 7th Inning

Ernie Yake singled to lead off the seventh and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Rando. Brett Harris, who also singled with no outs, was stranded at third base. The Zags have stranded six today.

Arkansas freshman left hander Zack Morris settled down after the two hits to start the inning and retired the final three batters.

Arkansas 9, Gonzaga 4 - Bottom 6th Inning

Heston Kjerstad doubled with one out on a check swing to the hole at third base that was created by a shift. He scored in the next at-bat when Matt Goodheart singled over the top of the second baseman. It was Goodheart's third RBI today.

Goodheart went first to third on Christian Franklin's single with two outs and scored when reliever Michael Spellacy threw away a pickoff attempt. It was at least the fourth pickoff attempt by Spellacy and drew a big laugh from the crowd.

Franklin, who went to third on the pitcher's throw away, scored on Casey Opitz's two-out double to left field.

There are two outs in the inning and Gonzaga is going to the bullpen.

Arkansas 6, Gonzaga 4 - Middle 6th Inning

Gabriel Hughes reached on a fielding error by Casey Martin, advanced to third base on a single and scored on a wild pitch by Kole Ramage in the sixth inning.

The Bulldogs stranded a runner at second when pinch hitter Issac Barreera grounded out to Ramage to end the inning. Gonzaga has stranded five today.

Arkansas made a change at catcher that inning, replacing Dominic Tamez with Casey Opitz. The top of the Razorbacks' order is due up in the bottom of the inning.

Arkansas 6, Gonzaga 3 - End 5th Inning

The Razorbacks stranded two against Gonzaga reliever William Kempner in the fifth. Dominic Tamez walked with one out and Robert Moore walked with two outs. The inning ended when Jacob Nesbit popped up to the first baseman in foul ground.

Arkansas 6, Gonzaga 3 - Bottom 5th Inning

The Razorbacks have led off back-to-back innings with a home run. This one was from Casey Martin, who drove one into the home bullpen in left field. That was Martin's first RBI of the season.

Arkansas 5, Gonzaga 3 - Middle 5th Inning

Ryan Sullivan flied out to center field to strand a runner and the Razorbacks still have the lead after the top of the fifth.

Arkansas is fortunate to not be trailing or tied with Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have eight hits today and have missed on a couple of great scoring opportunities.

Arkansas 5, Gonzaga 3 - Top 5th Inning

The Bulldogs have made this a game after Tyler Rando's two-run single with two outs. Rando advanced to second base on a throwing error by left fielder Braydon Webb.

Arkansas catcher Dominic Tamez made a great play to throw out Brett Harris on a softly hit ball to the infield for the second out of the inning. Ramage got behind 2-1 to Rando, though, and Rando hit one hard in the hole between third base and shortstop, and the runners scored easily. Webb's throw probably was unnecessary.

Arkansas 5, Gonzaga 1 - Top 5th Inning

Blake Adams' outing did not go well. He recorded just one out and gave up two hits and walked a batter. Adams had trouble getting his fastball to stay down in the zone.

Gonzaga scored when Ernie Yake doubled with one out. The Bulldogs had gone 16 consecutive innings without scoring against the Razorbacks.

Kole Ramage is coming in to try to get Arkansas out of the jam. Ramage, who started Thursday's game but didn't make it out of the third inning, inherits runners at second and third base with one out.

Arkansas 5, Gonzaga 0 - End 4th Inning

A wild play to end the inning included a two-run single by Matt Goodheart, a throwing error into the outfield by Gonzaga catcher Tyler Rando and Heston Kjerstad getting thrown out at the plate for the third out.

Kjerstad only went first to second on Goodheart's single with the bases loaded, but was able to advance to third when Rando's throw to second was high and went into the outfield. Arkansas hitting coach Nate Thompson, who coaches third base, sent Kjerstad home but he was out easily on a relay throw.

The Razorbacks are changing pitchers for the fifth inning as Blake Adams replaces Marshall Denton. Adams has not pitched since he struggled in a start last Sunday against Eastern Illinois.

Arkansas 3, Gonzaga 0 - Bottom 4th Inning

Robert Moore just batted home another run - his ninth RBI of the weekend - with a one-out single in the fourth. It scored Dominic Tamez from second base. Tamez reached on a single in the at-bat following Christian Franklin's home run.

Arkansas 2, Gonzaga 0 - Bottom 4th Inning

Two pitches after Marshall Denton got Arkansas out of a jam, Christian Franklin extended the lead with an opposite-field home run that cleared the bullpen in right field. That was Franklin's second home run this season.

Arkansas 1, Gonzaga 0 - Middle 4th Inning

Marshall Denton struck out the side after inheriting the jam from Caleb Bolden. Denton abused Gonzaga hitters with a great breaking pitch that was registering 75-76 mph on the stadium radar gun. It was the out pitch against all three hitters - Ryan Sullivan, Stephen Lund and Gabriel Hughes.

Bolden's final line for Arkansas: 3 scoreless innings, 5 hits, 1 strikeout. He will receive a no-decision.

Arkansas 1, Gonzaga 0 - Top 4th Inning

Caleb Bolden ran out of gas in the top of the fourth. Gonzaga recorded back-to-back singles against him for the second inning in a row, and Bolden has been taken out of the game and replaced by Marshall Denton. He inherits two runners on base and no outs, and will face the Zags' cleanup hitter Ryan Sullivan first.

Arkansas 1, Gonzaga 0 - End 3rd Inning

Heston Kjerstad, Matt Goodheart and Casey Martin went down in order in the third inning. Martin hit a fly ball to the warning track in left field, but it was a few feet short of being a home run.

Kjerstad struck out against Nick Trogrlic-Iverson for the second time. The Zags' right hander has three strikeouts today. His pitch count is 57 through three innings.

Arkansas 1, Gonzaga 0 - Middle 3rd Inning

Caleb Bolden got into trouble when Jack Machtolf and Mason Marenco singled to lead off the inning, but Gonzaga couldn't push home a run.

Cole Austin played a bunt well to throw out Josh Bristyan, then leadoff hitter Ernie Yake lined into an unassisted double play by Casey Martin, who tagged Marenco after he overcommitted toward third base.

The Razorbacks have turned two double plays today.

Arkansas 1, Gonzaga 0 - End 2nd Inning

Robert Moore is having a heck of a weekend. He made a good defensive play for the first out in the second inning, then teamed up with Casey Martin for a 6-4-3 double play to end the top of the inning.

In the bottom of the second Moore had another RBI hit - a single - for his eighth RBI of the weekend. The hit scored Dominic Tamez, who singled to start the inning. Tamez went to third on a single by Cole Austin.

The Razorbacks stranded two in the inning when Braydon Webb struck out.

Arkansas 0, Gonzaga 0 - End 1st Inning

Matt Goodheart singled with two outs and advanced to second base on a passed ball, but he was stranded there when Casey Martin grounded out to end the top of the first inning. Martin's batting average fell to .200 with that at-bat.

Arkansas 0, Gonzaga 0 - Middle 1st Inning

Caleb Bolden had an effortless-looking first inning. He got a pair of fly outs in three pitches from the first two batters, then struck out Tyler Rando with a great looking 83 mph changeup.

Pregame

It is a cool, rainy day in Fayetteville, but Arkansas and Gonzaga are going to attempt to play. The chance of rain this afternoon is 80 percent.

The Razorbacks will play most of their starters. The one difference is that Dominic Tamez will be behind the plate in place of Casey Opitz.

Redshirt sophomore right hander Caleb Bolden will start on the mound for Arkansas today. Bolden pitched three scoreless innings last week against Eastern Illinois. Today will be his first start since April 2018 before he had Tommy John surgery.

Gonzaga will throw right hander Nick Trogrlic-Iverson, who is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA this season.

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