ARKANSAS 13-12, NORTH DAKOTA 2-1
FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' season-opening series couldn't have been scripted much better.
The Razorbacks had 30 hits Saturday and its pitchers combined to strike out 26 as Arkansas completed the three-game sweep with 13-2 and 12-1 victories over North Dakota in front of an announced crowd of 6,733 on an unseasonably warm day at Baum Stadium.
Arkansas didn't commit an error in the series, had 48 hits and pitchers combined to strike out 39 in the 27 innings.
"You never plan on scoring that many runs. We just want to win the games," Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said. "It just kind of played into our hands this weekend. The wind was blowing out, we had good temperatures and our hitters did a good job of battling.
"We did what we needed to do and we did what we should've done."
The Razorbacks had 16 hits, including 11 for extra bases in the first game and then used a five-run sixth inning to pull away in the second game.
Arkansas' offense scored 17 runs in the middle innings Saturday, and the Razorbacks finished with 14 extra-base hits.
"We take a little pride in running hard out of the box and stealing a double here and there," Van Horn said. "We just did a good job of hustling."
The Razorbacks combined a strong performance from sophomore right-hander Dominic Taccolini to go along with 11 extra-base hits, including four home runs, in the first-game victory.
Taccolini (1-0) struck out 8 and scattered 4 hits over 6 innings, throwing 85 pitches with no walks. He had a stretch of retiring 12 North Dakota batters in a row, and gave up his only runs on a two-run home run to right-center by Jeff Campbell in the sixth.
"My fastball command was pretty good throughout," Taccolini said. "I got my curveball over for strikes when I needed to. I felt pretty good overall."
Senior Lance Phillips and freshman Parker Sanburn combined for three innings of scoreless relief. Arkansas pitchers combined to strike out 13 for the second consecutive game.
The Razorbacks' offense battered North Dakota pitching for 16 hits, including 4 home runs, 3 triples and 4 doubles.
Tyler Spoon was 3 for 4 with a triple and a double, Andrew Benintendi and Brett McAfee both hit home runs out of the park, Ryan Nomura had an inside-the-park home run and Bobby Wernes hit two triples.
It was the first time an Arkansas player had two triples in a game since Ryan Fox did it against Georgia in 2003.
"Our guys have worked hard and are bigger and stronger and the results are definitely showing," Taccolini said of the offense.
Wernes' first triple came in a two-run second inning. A four-hit fifth inning, including the home runs from Benintendi and Nomura, pushed Arkansas' lead to 4-0.
North Dakota pulled within 4-2 in the top of the sixth, but the Razorbacks responded with a six-run, five-hit bottom of the inning. The at-bat included consecutive doubles from Tucker Pennell, Clark Eagan and Joe Serrano, a two-RBI triple to the center-field wall from Spoon and McAfee's blast to left-center as Arkansas led 10-2.
Zach Muckenhirn (0-1) went four innings and took the loss for North Dakota. Jeff Campbell relieved him in the fifth and gave up eight runs on 10 hits.
In the second game, North Dakota led 2-1 after 3 ½ innings before Arkansas took control with a three-run fourth and then put the game out of reach with a five-run, four-hit sixth inning.
The big hit in the inning was a two-run triple from freshman Chad Spanberger, who finished 3 for 4 with 4 RBI. Eagan and Cullen Gassaway were each 3 for 4 in the second game.
Zach Jackson (1-0) got the victory on a pitch-count limit four innings, striking out 8 and allowing 5 hits and 1 run in 77 pitches. Jackson Lowery, Josh Alberius, Kyle Pate and Jacob Stone combined for five innings of scoreless relief.
"You don't expect to go three games without an error," Van Horn said. "Overall it was a really good weekend. We got to play a lot of people and we had guys come off the bench and do a good job of swinging the bat. We have a lot of competition and it will keep the players working hard to get in the lineup.
"Some guys gained some experience and hopefully some confidence."
Arkansas plays next vs. Central Florida at 2 p.m. Friday in Mobile, Ala. The Razorbacks will play South Alabama at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Maryland at 10 a.m. next Sunday.
"We know we have a long way to go," Van Horn said. "We will have a step up in competition starting this week."
Sports on 02/15/2015