No dusting off Bulldogs

Hogs score once, can’t complete sweep

Mississippi State's Reid Humphreys makes it to second ahead of the tag by Arkansas' Michael Bernal Sunday, April 26, 2015 at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. The Hogs lost 2-1.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Mississippi State came up with run-scoring hits after a two-base throwing error in the fourth and a wind-blown bloop single in the seventh to beat punchless No. 25 Arkansas 2-1 on Sunday.

The Bulldogs (23-21, 7-14 SEC), behind sophomore right-hander Austin Sexon's first career road victory, avoided a sweep at the hands of the Razorbacks, whose only run came when Bobby Wernes was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth inning.

Arkansas (26-18, 11-10 SEC), aiming for its first SEC sweep since taking three games at Missouri in the final regular season series last May, had the momentum of 13 victories in its last 15 games blunted. The Razorbacks were held to six singles and failed to post an extra-base hit for the first time since a 5-1 victory over No. 1 LSU on March 19.

"To me they outplayed us," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "They made the plays. We didn't make the play. They got the big hit with two outs and we didn't. We've gotten a couple of those hits lately."

The Bulldogs, ending a six-game losing streak, had 11 hits, all singles, including two-out RBI singles by Luke Reynolds, who went 4 for 4, and John Holland.

"It was really big for our club," Mississippi State Coach John Cohen said. "There's that belief of 'Can we win when things aren't going our way?' especially after the Friday ballgame when you've got a lead late in the game."

The Bulldogs scored the winning run in the seventh against reliever Jackson Lowery (4-1) on a rally that started with an innocent-looking pop-up to left-center by Jake Vickerson. Outfielders Joe Serrano and Andrew Benintendi charged forward and shortstop Bret McAfee retreated and the ball, pushed toward the infield by a strong wind from left field, fell between the three Hogs for a single.

Vickerson moved up on a ground out, and with two outs Holland punched a ball to the hole on the right side that second baseman Michael Bernal stopped while diving onto the outfield grass. But Bernal went to his knees after gloving the ball, and Vickerson kept chugging home and beat Bernal's off-target one-hopper to the plate.

Arkansas had an opportunity against the Bulldogs' bullpen in the eighth. Benintendi singled with one out, then Tyler Spoon and pinch-hitter Carson Shaddy drew walks to load the bases. Zac Houston came in and struck out Wernes looking on a 3-2 pitch, then retired McAfee on a comebacker to escape the inning.

"I should have swung," Wernes said of his key strikeout. "That's 100 percent on me. That was a strike."

Houston gave up a two-out walk to Clark Eagan in the ninth, then finished off his first save when Joe Serrano grounded to shortstop on a 3-2 pitch.

"He threw a ton of fastballs and I thought he beat their bats to the spot," Cohen said.

"Got to give their last pitcher, Zac Houston, credit. He did a great job coming in in a tight spot," Van Horn said.

Arkansas starter Keaton McKinney allowed one unearned run in 5 1/3 innings.

Mississippi State went up 1-0 in the fourth with the run coming after Holland lined into a double play. Reid Humphreys reached on McAfee's two-base throwing error and scored on Reynolds' single up the middle.

Arkansas tied the score 1-1 against Sexton (4-4) in the sixth, but Mississippi State averted a big inning with a clutch strikeout of Cullen Gassaway with the bases loaded and one out and a sterling defensive play on McAfee to close the inning.

On a 2-0 count, with two outs, Sexton hit Wernes with a pitch that forced in the tying run and caromed into the hand of home plate umpire Hank Himmanen, who needed a minute to recover from the sting.

McAfee drove a sinking liner into left field that would have scored two runs had it landed, but Mississippi State's Cody Brown, who was inserted earlier in the inning as a pinch runner, made a diving catch just off the grass, rolling and holding his glove up for the umpires to see.

"If he doesn't catch that ball, that was the difference in the game when you look back," Van Horn said.

"There aren't many outfielders in the league who could make the play that Cody Brown did," Cohen said.

Arkansas will try to shake off the disappointment when it travels to Alabama for a Thursday-Saturday series later this week.

"I think we'll definitely find a positive out of this," Wernes said. "We'll definitely learn from it, not to take any games off or anything like that."

Sports on 04/27/2015