FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas sophomore right-hander James Teague pitched a career-long seven innings in the Razorbacks' 8-2 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday night, and he could have gone longer.
Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said he wanted to get Teague out of the game after he threw 86 pitches so he'd be available Sunday against No. 1 Texas A&M if needed.
Today’s game
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN AT ARKANSAS
WHEN 3:05 p.m.
WHERE Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
RECORDS Arkansas 21-16. Stephen F. Austin 12-24.
RADIO Razorback Sports Network. Not all games ill be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.
INTERNET SEC Network-Plus
PITCHERS TBA
TICKETS $10 reserved, $8 general admission for non-conference games.
Teague (3-2) held the Lumberjacks to 6 hits and 1 run with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts before an announced crowd of 1,677 at Baum Stadium.
"It was good for him, and it's good for us to see him have success like that so we know we can stick him out there in a tough situation," Van Horn said.
Teague has allowed one run in his past 12 2/3 innings over three games, including 1 2/3 innings of relief at Auburn, to lower his earned run average to 3.19
"Don't give the hitters so much credit," Teague said of his recent success. "I think sometimes you worry about, 'Oh, what are they going to do?' Just fill up the strike zone.
"Make good pitches and whatever happens, happens."
Van Horn said Teague had a good slider and curveball Tuesday night.
"Just about anytime he wanted, he was throwing his breaking balls around the plate," Van Horn said.
"It makes a big difference when you can throw both for strikes," Teague said. "Just something the hitters need to think about."
Arkansas center fielder Andrew Benintendi, the national leader with 13 home runs, went 0 of 4, but the Razorbacks got plenty of offense.
Catcher Carson Shaddy was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, shortstop Brett McAfee was 2 for 3 with 1 RBI, right fielder Tyler Spoon was 2 for 4 with 1 RBI and third baseman Bobby Wernes was 2 for 4 with 1 RBI.
"Up and down the lineup guys got big hits," Van Horn said. "We didn't get that big inning, but we just kept punching in runs."
Shaddy, a redshirt freshman from Fayetteville, raised his average to .371 in 66 at-bats.
"He's done a good job," Van Horn said. "It seems like if he has a bad day, the next time he gets out there -- and it might be four or five days -- and gets a couple hits and keeps that average right up there."
Arkansas (21-16) has won 6 of its past 7 games.
"It feels good," Spoon said. "Obviously we started off really slow this year, but we knew it was just going to be a matter of time.
"We have the pieces. We're just putting it together and finally have it rolling. We feel really confident as a team we can play anybody right now and have a really good chance."
Teague shut out Stephen F. Austin (12-24) until Dan O'Neill hit a home run with one out in the seventh inning to make it 7-1.
"It was a curveball," Teague said. "I don't know if he was looking for it. It might have been up in the zone. Give him credit, he put a good swing on it.
"It could have been a little bit better location, but having a big lead I was just trying to pitch to contact and get through the lineup."
Arkansas led 3-0 after three innings.
"When you're starting and we put up runs the first few innings, it just makes it so much easier," Teague said. "Relax and just throw strikes."
UALR 4, MISSOURI 3
The UALR baseball team has exceeded expectations in Sun Belt Conference games this season but has struggled in midweek games against nonconference opponents.
The Trojans picked up their biggest victory of the season — against a Sun Belt team or otherwise — Tuesday.
UALR scored one run in each of the last three innings in a victory over No. 14 Missouri on Tuesday, ending an eight-game nonconference losing streak and earning its first victory of the season over a ranked opponent.
“This is a proud, proud day for our program and players,” UALR Coach Chris Curry said. “We as a coaching staff couldn’t be more excited and happy to coach these guys, who continue to show a high level of toughness. To come in here and beat the No. 14 team in the country, we’re just extremely happy with the effort.”
After falling behind 3-1, Mitchell Scheuler hit an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3 in the eighth inning before Kyle Kirk singled with one out in the ninth to drive in Haydin Martin and give UALR a 4-3 lead.
Cameron Allen pitched around two singles in the ninth to earn his fifth save for the Trojans (14-19).
Reed Willenborg, a sophomore making his third start, struck out 7 over 8 innings while giving up 3 unearned runs. Missouri (24-13) scored a run in the fourth and two in the sixth, all of which were scored off errors. Missouri’s Josh Lester doubled in the fourth, moved to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.
Missouri took a 3-1 lead in the sixth on a play in which Scheuler committed an error in right field and catcher Drew Merten committed another, but Willenborg didn’t allow another run after that. Ryan Scott’s RBI double in the seventh cut the deficit to 3-2, then Scheuler and Kirk came through with big hits in the final two innings.
Kirk finished 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, while Merten and Scheuler added two of their own.
Sports on 04/15/2015