FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas’ pitching staff, which came into Friday night’s game against Tennessee leading the nation with a 1.77 team ERA, was no match for Vols right hander Zack Godley.
Godley, a senior from Bamberg, S.C., threw his fifth complete game of the season and received plenty of offensive support - especially from catcher Ethan Bennett - as Tennessee beat the No. 11 Razorbacks 8-3 before an announced crowd of 6,847 at Baum Stadium.
The Vols (20-26, 7-16 SEC) piled up the most runs and hits (13) the Razorbacks have allowed this season.
“We didn’t do much of anything,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “We didn’t pitch very well. We didn’t hit well obviously.
“Zack Godley was the story. He just stuck it to us.”
Godley (5-6) threw 120 pitches - his fourth-highest total this season - while holding the Razorbacks (32-17, 15-9 SEC) to 4 hits and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts. He threw 130 pitches against Kentucky, 129 against Missouri, 111 against Florida and 106 against Ole Miss in his other complete games. He also threw 125 pitches in seven innings against Vanderbilt. He’s thrown more than 100 pitches nine times.
“I just throw until Coach tells me not to throw anymore,” Godfrey said of Vols Coach Dave Serrano. “Glad he lets me go out there when my pitch count is high.
“For the most part my curve ball wasn’t going where I wanted it, but my fastball worked well and was going in and out, and then I threw a couple of change ups they didn’t swing at and that helped. Mainly just kept my fastball down and let them put it in play and let my defense work, and they played great behind me.”
Godfrey is the only SEC pitcher with three complete-game victories this season. He had shutouts against Missouri and Kentucky.
“He’s a warrior out there,” Van Horn said. “He just fills up the zone. He’s got a hard, tight breaking ball that our hitters had a hard time recognizing the spin. He didn’t leave too many balls in the middle of the plate.
“He knows how to pitch with a lead. He got after us.”
After Arkansas first baseman Dominic Ficociello hit an 0-2 slider from Godley to put Arkansas ahead 2-1 in the fourth inning, Bennett’s two run double put the Vols ahead for good, 3-2, in the sixth.
Bennett, who also drove in two runs with a base-loaded, two-out single in the ninth to push the Vols’ lead to 8-3, finished 3 for 5 with 5 RBI from the cleanup spot. He came into the game with nine RBI on 57 at-bats.
“He’s been banged up a little bit with soreness in his leg, but he’s been important for us since we put him in the middle of the order,” Serrano said. “He gobbled up some runs for us tonight, and that was huge.”
Arkansas starter Barrett Astin (4-3) allowed 7 hits and 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings. He had eight strikeouts without a walk.
“He elevated a couple of pitches … they did a good job of hitting them,” Van Horn said. “He battled and gave us some innings. We just didn’t help him out a whole lot.”
Van Horn said it was surprising Arkansas relievers Trent Daniel and Brandon Moore gave up a combined five runs, though Daniel’s run was unearned.
“It’s going to happen every now and then,” Van Horn said. “They scored four innings in a row after we got the lead. That was disappointing.
“Give credit to them. They played extremely well and we didn’t play very well.”
Ficociello, who hit his third home run of the season, said Godfrey did a good job with all of his pitches, but particularly his slider.
“It was real sharp, really tough to pick up out of his hand,” Ficociello said. “His fastball was sneaky, he was throwing a cutter, a pretty good change up, too.”
Godley said it was exciting to pitch in Baum Stadium for the first time.
“This is the best atmosphere we’ve played in all year, the most people we’ve played around,” Godley said. “I’m glad I could come out and perform the way I did.”
Arkansas is 3-0 in its previous SEC Saturday games after losing series openers to Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M and will have Ryne Stanek (6-2, 1.87 ERA) pitching tonight against Tennessee’s Nick Williams (2-3. 4.94).
“We’ve got to find a way to win,” Van Horn said. “Hopefully, we’ll show up and play a little better.”
Today’s game Tennessee at Arkansas WHEN 6:05 p.m.
WHERE Baum Stadium, Fayetteville RECORDS Arkansas 32-17, 15-9 SEC;
Tennessee 20-26, 7-16 RADIO Razorbacks Sports Network, which includes KQSM-FM 92.1 in Fayetteville; KURM-AM 790 in Bentonville-Rogers; KABZ-FM 103.7 in Little Rock; KASR-FM 92.7, in Conway; KHGG-FM, 103.1, in Fort Smith; KELD-FM, 106.5, in El Dorado, and KOMT-FM, 107.5, in Mountain Home. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.
TELEVISION Cox Sports INTERNET www.arkansasrazorbacks.com PITCHING MATCHUP Tennessee: Nick Williams (RHP 2-3, 4.94 ERA). Arkansas: Ryne Stanek (RHP 6-2, 1.87) SHORT HOPS Ryane Stanek has a 1.25 ERA in eight SEC games. ... Arkansas second baseman Jordan Farris broke out of an 0-for-14 slump with a lead off double in the seventh. ... The series is matching last year’s USA Baseball Collegiate National Team coach (Tennessee’s Dave Serrano) vs. next year’s USA coach (Arkansas’ Dave Van Horn). ... The Volunteers are 2-0 against teams from Arkansas this week. They beat Arkansas State 12-3 on Wednesday night.
THE WEEK AHEAD TODAY vs Tennessee 6:05 p.m.
SUNDAY vs Tennessee 1:05 p.m.
MONDAY Off TUESDAY Off WEDNESDAY Off THURSDAY at Auburn 6 p.m.
FRIDAY at Auburn 6 p.m.
THURSDAY’S GAME
Texas A&M 2, LSU 1
FRIDAY’S GAMES All times Central
Tennessee 8, Arkansas 3 Auburn 7, Florida 4 South Carolina 7, Georgia 2 Alabama 9, Missouri 7 Texas A&M at LSU, susp., rain Vanderbilt at Kentucky, ppd., rain Miss. State at Mississippi, susp., rain
SATURDAY’S GAMES All times Central
Georgia at South Carolina, noon LSU at Texas A&M, noon Missouri at Alabama, 1 p.m.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky, DH, 1 p.m.
Mississippi St. at Mississippi, DH, 3 p.m. Auburn at Florida, 6 p.m.
Tennessee at Arkansas, 6:05 p.m.
Sports, Pages 21 on 05/11/2013