NCAA Baseball

Arkansas sweeps Missouri in midweek series

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/WILLIAM MOORE -- Arkansas third baseman Matt Reynolds hit a two-run pinch-hit double to give Arkansas a 2-0 lead against Missouri Wednesday at Baum Stadium.

— Matt Reynolds hit a pinch-hit, two-run double in the sixth inning and No. 18 Arkansas defeated Missouri 2-0 Wednesday at Baum Stadium to sweep the two-game series with the Tigers.

After a one-pitch outing against Florida on Sunday in which Trent Daniel hit a batter, the junior left-hander redeemed himself in the midweek series finale by pitching five scoreless innings and allowing just two hits.

Arkansas used three other pitchers, Michael Gunn, Colby Suggs and Barrett Astin, to hold Missouri (23-21) without a run for the Razorbacks' seventh shutout of the season - the most by an Arkansas pitching staff since it blanked eight opponents in 1986.

Missouri started John Miles, a freshman right-hander, who matched Daniel for four shutout innings, giving up just three hits to the Razorbacks. Jake Walsh took over on the mound for the Tigers in the fifth, but only lasted for one out in the sixth.

Walsh gave up a single to Dominic Ficociello to begin the sixth inning. The sophomore first baseman then stole second and Walsh hit Bo Bigham with a pitch to put on two runners for Matt Reynolds. Reynolds pinch-hit for Sam Bates and doubled down the left field line to score Ficociello and Bigham and give Arkansas (33-13) a 2-0 lead.

Arkansas will host No. 5 South Carolina this weekend. Ryne Stanek will pitch on Friday, Randall Fant gets the nod on Saturday and DJ Baxendale will be on the mound Sunday against the Gamecocks.