Perfect 10 for 10: No. 1 UA caps sweep, continues streak

FAYETTEVILLE -- Lael Lockhart and five relievers combined on a six-hit shutout and Jacob Nesbit hit a three-run home run in his return to the lineup to power No. 1 Arkansas to a 6-0 win over Murray State on Sunday.

A maximum crowd of 4,218 at Baum-Walker Stadium on a sunny Sunday afternoon watched the Razorbacks (10-0) sweep the three-game set from the Racers (5-6).

The University of Arkansas has won its first 10 games for the first time since 19th year Coach Dave Van Horn's first season in 2003 and has a 14-game winning streak dating back to last season.

"It feels great because of the competition we've played," Van Horn said. "We've been on the road. It's not like we just sat here and played a bunch of mid-majors and got after them. We had to fight for wins. You win 10 in a row, you don't expect to do that."

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Murray State Coach Dan Skirka said he was happy his team got to be outside three days in a row and in the sun for the last two.

"I feel really good about the way our team competed this weekend against the No. 1 team in the country, legitimately the top team in college baseball," Skirka said. "I was especially pleased with how we battled at the plate.

"I'm just so proud of the way these guys came in here and didn't flinch and just kept fighting. It was a tough one today, but I feel like we got after it those first two games and gave them all they wanted."

Nesbit had gone 0 for 6 in the first three games at the College Baseball Showdown against No. 4 Texas Tech, No. 10 Texas and No. 11 TCU, then had not gotten an at-bat in the six games since.

With the Razorbacks on top 1-0 in the fourth, Nesbit came up as the first batter to face 6-6 right-hander Nathaniel Gorczyca after starter Jack Wenninger (1-1) walked Jalen Battles and Zack Gregory with one out.

Nesbit swung through a low fastball, then got one over the plate and yanked it over the left-field wall into the Arkansas bullpen for a 4-0 lead.

"I was really excited to get good wood on that and luckily it left the yard," Nesbit said. "It felt great. I'm kind of just doing whatever I can to get on base and be in a position to help score some runs and help the team win."

Lockhart (1-0) posted the second win by a UA starter, joining Peyton Pallette's victory over Southeast Missouri State last Saturday, and dropped his ERA from 4.50 to 2.77. The left-hander allowed 5 hits and 1 walk over 5 innings and struck out 6 on his season-high 76 pitches.

"It was just kind of one of those lucky days where everything is clicking for you," Lockhart said. "Feeling good, boys are rolling ... just keep it going into next week.

"I think Lael did a good job," Van Horn said. "He had a couple innings where he cruised there pretty fast. But he also had a couple where he had to fight a little bit.

"I do like what I've seen from him. He throws enough strikes. He competes, and yeah, he'll get another start next weekend."

Ryan Costeiu, Evan Gray, Kevin Kopps and Zack Morris all worked one clean inning behind Lockhart. Nate Wohlgemuth walked the first two Murray State batters in the eighth inning, but Kopps came in and struck out the Racers' 3-4-5 hitters Jordan Cozart, Brock Anderson and Bryson Bloomer to end the threat and give him 15 strikeouts in seven innings.

Van Horn said Nesbit's attitude the last couple of weeks has been good.

"He just comes and does his work," Van Horn said. "We try to motivate these guys and tell them, hey, their day's coming, their time's coming. He got his opportunity today and obviously got a big hit. You can tell, the team really likes Jacob. He's a great kid and been a big part of our program the last three years. They were all happy for him, excited to see that ball get out of the park and good way to get your first hit of the year."

Said Nesbit, "It's pretty much been business as usual for me. I show up and get my work in. I'm around the guys and love every second of it. I'm just trying to be as good of a teammate as I can. We're rolling right now and it's awesome to see and be a part of."

Murray State actually out-hit the Hogs 6-5, but Arkansas took advantage of being given 11 extra base runners through nine walks and two hit batsmen. The other five runners who scored besides Nesbit had reached base via a walk.

Half of the Razorbacks' runs came on Nesbit's homer and the other half came on sacrifice flies by Brady Slavens, Cullen Smith and Battles.

"We didn't put together a whole lot today offensively, but what we did do was we hit three sacrifice flies when we had runners on third base with less than two outs," Van Horn said. "We got the ball to the outfield, and that's what we coach them to do. It doesn't always work out, but that's what we want: Elevation, get the ball out there and stay out of the double play."

Slavens, hitting in the cleanup spot, drove in his 11th run, the first allowed by the Murray State freshman Wenninger, in the first inning. Smith and Battles provided their sacrifice flies in the fifth inning after Christian Franklin, Matt Goodheart and Slavens had walked to open the inning against Gorczyca and Ryan Fender.

The Razorbacks had some base-running misadventures that took away a scoring chance in the second inning. Gregory led off with a walk and Dylan Leach reached on a one-out hit by pitch. Robert Moore hit a shot to the right side that looked like it would get through, but the ball hit Leach in the lower leg for an out and Gregory had to return to second base. A ball got away from catcher Tanner Booth after a Franklin swing and both runners tried to advance. Booth retrieved the ball quickly and gunned Moore out at second base.