Hogs win first matchup with Red Wolves

Cullen Smith throws a ball during Arkansas' game against Arkansas State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Photo courtesy SEC Media Pool.
Cullen Smith throws a ball during Arkansas' game against Arkansas State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Photo courtesy SEC Media Pool.

FAYETTEVILLE — Cayden Wallace hit a grand slam during a five-run fifth inning and Arkansas defeated Arkansas State 8-4 on Tuesday at Baum-Walker Stadium in the first meeting between the programs.

The No. 1 Razorbacks (37-9) finished with a 6-0 record against in-state teams in their first season to play all four of the other Division I programs in Arkansas.

The Red Wolves (16-25) fell to 0-4 this season in games against SEC teams.

Wallace was the fourth of six consecutive Arkansas batters to reach base in the fifth inning. His opposite-field grand slam to right field came on a 3-0 pitch from Arkansas State starter Tyler Jeans. It was Wallace’s 10th home run and the Razorbacks’ third grand slam this season.

After Brady Slavens walked, Christian Franklin doubled for Arkansas’ fifth run of the inning. All 5 runs were charged to Jeans, who allowed 3 hits and walked 6.

Jeans (1-3) did not allow a hit before Dylan Leach singled to lead off the fifth.

Arkansas State scored a run on Blake McCutchen’s RBI single in the top of the seventh inning, but the Razorbacks scored three in the bottom of the seventh to take an 8-1 lead.

Slavens doubled to score Wallace, and Slavens scored from second base after Franklin fouled out to the first baseman. Slavens tagged and ran to third base on the pop up, and he scored on a fielding error by Arkansas State pitcher Max Gehler after the throw back into the infield.

Cullen Smith also hit an RBI double in the seventh. Both of Smith’s hits were doubles.

Arkansas State brought the tying run to the plate during a sloppy top of the eighth that included two walks and two errors by the Razorbacks. Tyler Duncan’s two-run double against Arkansas reliever Zack Morris pulled the Red Wolves within 8-3, and Arkansas State scored another run on a two-out error by Arkansas shortstop Jalen Battles.

Jared Toler grounded out to Slavens at first base to strand the bases loaded. Arkansas State stranded seven runners and Arkansas stranded nine.

The Razorbacks threw nine pitchers in their first midweek game since April 14. Jaxon Wiggins and Lael Lockhart each struck out three batters in two scoreless innings, and Lockhart (2-2) earned the win. Wiggins, a freshman, faced one above the minimum in his first career start.

Heston Tole, Kole Ramage and Connor Noland also threw one inning of scoreless relief. Noland struck out two in a perfect ninth inning — his first home outing since March 5.

Arkansas pitchers combined to allow 4 hits and 4 walks, and struck out 12. Only one of Arkansas State’s runs was earned.

EARLIER

Arkansas 8 Arkansas St. 4 - FINAL

Connor Noland in to pitch for Arkansas.

Noland gets a ground ball to short for the first out.

An offspeed gets Tipton swinging for the second out.

A foul ball into the mitt of Leach seals the deal for Arkansas.

Arkansas 8 Arkansas St. 4 - End 8th

Jake Algee in to pitch for ASU.

Ethan Bates pinch hits for the Hogs and he pops up to the third baseman for the first out.

Goodheart grounds out to third for the second out.

Wallace is hit by a pitch and Slavens works a walk to give the Hogs two on with two out.

State will go to the bullpen again. This time it's Kollin Stone.

Franklin strikes out on a breaking ball to end the inning.

Arkansas 8 Arkansas St. 4 - Middle 8th

Zack Morris in to pitch for Arkansas.

He gets a ground ball of the end of the bat to start the inning. Smith fields on the run and fires for the first out.

The next batter hits a high fly ball in between the pitcher's mound and home plate, four fielders come in and Smith calls everybody off but he can't catch it. That's an error against Smith and the batter Tipton got all the way to second.

A flare into left field give the Red Wolves another base runner. Tipton stayed at second. A line drive right at Battles is the second out.

Duncan doubles to left-center field. Two runs score and that will be it for Morris.

Ryan Costeiu coming in to pitch.

Morris - 0.2IP, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K, 25 pitches

Costeiu walks the first batter on a full count.

After a long at bat Costeiu walks the next batter to load the bases.

A ground ball to Battles is fielded, but Battles fumbles the toss, everybody is safe and a run comes in to score.

Costeiu induces another ground ball, this time Slavens fields it at first and steps on the bag to end the inning.

Arkansas 8 Arkansas St. 1 - End 7th

New pitcher for ASU, Josh Albat.

Wallace leads off the inning with a walk then advances to second on a balk.

Slavens doubles into right to score Wallace and ASU is going to the bullpen.

Max Gehler in to pitch for the Red Wolves.

Franklin pops out in foul territory down the right field line. The second baseman catches it, Slavens tags and goes to third. The throw into the infield gets away and Slavens comes in to score.

Moore singles to right field and then advances to second on a passed ball.

Smith stays on a ball and doubles to right field. Moore comes in to score.

Battles pops up to second for the second out.

Leach grounds to third, the throw is low and can't be picked by the first baseman. Nate Thompson sends Smith home from third and he's thrown out by a good margin.

Arkansas 5 Arkansas St. 1 - Middle 7th

Elijah Trest in to pitch for Arkansas.

Ramage - 1.0IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 2K, 18 pitches.

Trest walks the first batter of the inning. He gets the next batter to fly out to left.

A pitch runs inside on the right handed Deshazier and hits him. Two on with one out for Arkansas State.

Trest strikes Culver out on three pitches before McCutchen doubles down the left field line. One run comes home and the other moves up to third.

Trest's day is done. Vermillion comes in for him.

Trest - 0.2IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 1K, 14 pitches

Both runners are his responsibility.

Vermillion comes in and after a reviews gets a ground ball out to end the inning.

Arkansas 5 Arkansas St. 0 - End 6th

Arkansas goes down 1-2-3 in the sixth. Leach struck out, Gregory popped out and Goodheart flied out to left.

Arkansas 5 Arkansas St. 0 - Middle 6th

Kole Ramage in to pitch for Arkansas.

Lockhart - 2.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K, 22 pitches

Ramage gets two strikeouts before he allows a walk. He gets the next batter to ground out to second to end the inning.

Arkansas 5 Arkansas St. 0 - End 5th

Leach leads off the inning with a single to left field. Gregory is hit in the hand by a pitch, he's alright and the Hogs have runners on first and second with nobody out. Raffo will make a mound visit.

Jeans walks Goodheart to load the bases for Wallace.

Wallace makes Jeans pay with an opposite field grand slam. That ball carried until it hit off the net in right field.

Jeans walks Slavens and that will be it for him.

Brandon Anderson in to pitch.

Jeans - 4.0IP, 3h, 4R, 4ER, 6BB, 4K, 79 pitches

Jeans had a great outing, keeping the Hogs hitless for three innings, but he gave Arkansas too many chances with runners on base.

Franklin hits a ground ball down the left field line that stays fair and gets into the corner. Slavens scores from first, and Franklin gets a double.

Moore strikes out, Smith grounds out and Battles flies out to deep center to end the inning.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - Middle 5th

Lockhart is dealing, carving up two Red Wolf hitters with his fastball and offspeed pitch. He gets the last out of the inning on a ground ball to Battles.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - End 4th

After two outs to start the inning, Smith gets Arkansas' first hit of the day with a double down the right field line.

Jeans screws Battles into the dirt with a breaking ball for strike three to end the inning. Lockhart going back out for his second inning of work.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - Middle 4th

Lael Lockhart in to pitch for Arkansas now.

Tole - 1.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, 10 pitches

Lockhart gets two pop outs and a strikeout to end the inning.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - End 3rd

Arkansas goes 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - Middle 3rd

Heston Tole is in the game now for Arkansas.

Wiggins - 2.0IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K, 31 pitches

Tole works a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the first batter and getting two flyouts after that.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - End 2nd

Jalen Battles works a two-out walk. Moore and Smith started off the inning by popping out to short and lining out to right. Leach follows Battles' walk with one of his own. Gregory strikes out on a breaking ball down in the zone to end the inning.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - Middle 2nd

Wiggins retires Arkansas State in order in the 2nd. He gets his third strikeout and two pop outs, one to center and the other to second, to end the inning.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - End 1st

Jeans walks the first two batters of the inning and that will prompt a mound visit from the head coach Tommy Raffo.

Wallace strikes out swinging on three pitches, and Slavens follows with a 398 foot out to straight away center field. The center fielder caught it right up against the wall, Gregory tags and moves to third.

Franklin grounds out to third and Jeans escapes without allowing a run.

Arkansas 0 Arkansas St. 0 - Middle 1st

Wiggins allows a two-out base hit, but thats it. He strikes out to Red Wolves and gets a fly out to end the first inning.

Lineups

Arkansas St.

CF Drew Tipton

C Liam Hicks

3B Ben Klutts

RF Tyler Duncan

LF Jaylon Deshazier

DH Sky-Lar Deshazier

SS Blake McCutchen

1B Jared Toler

2B Garrett Olson

P Tyler Jeans

Arkansas

LF Zack Gregory

DH Matt Goodheart

RF Cayden Wallace

1B Brady Slavens

CF Christian Franklin

2B Robert Moore

3B Cullen Smith

SS Jalen Battles

C Dylan Leach

P Jaxon Wiggins

Pregame

Arkansas and Arkansas State are playing for the first time. The Red Wolves are the fourth in-state team to come to Fayetteville this season. The Razorbacks have a 5-0 record against Central Arkansas, Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Arkansas State has a 0-3 record this season against SEC teams. The Red Wolves lost 12-1 at Ole Miss to open the season, lost 18-10 at Mississippi State on April 13 and lost 15-12 at Ole Miss last Tuesday.

Arkansas State lost 3-2 at Georgia Southern in the second game of a doubleheader last Saturday. The Red Wolves had won six of seven before the loss.

Liam Hicks leads Arkansas State with a .398 batting average and Tyler Duncan (.317) leads the team with 9 home runs and 47 RBI. Ben Klutts (.323) leads the team with 14 doubles.

Arkansas' Jaxon Wiggins is scheduled to make his first career start Tuesday. Wiggins has been a late-innings reliever for the Razorbacks this season and hasn't pitched since April 18.

Arkansas is 22-5 at home this season.

Upcoming Events