College Baseball

Arkansas stumbles in opener

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn watches from a dugout during practice Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn saw an opportunity in participating in a three-day round-robin tournament at South Alabama, but he wasn't pleased with the Razorbacks' play Friday in a 9-5 loss to Central Florida at Stanky Field.

The Knights (4-0), No. 22 in the Baseball America poll, used 13 hits in handing Arkansas (3-1) its first loss.

Today’s game

ARKANSAS VS. S. ALABAMA

WHAT South Alabama Tournament

WHEN 6:35 p.m. Central WHERE Stanky Field, Mobile, Ala.

RECORDS Arkansas 3-1, South Alabama 4-1

PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas: Zach Jackson (RHP, 1-0, 2.25 ERA); South Alabama: Ryne Long (RHP, 0-0. 0.00 ERA)

RADIO Razorback Sports Network. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.

INTERNET arkansasrazorbacks.…

"It really started on the mound,'' Van Horn said of the Hogs' troubles in the tournament opener. "We're trying to experiment and figure a few things out. We made too many mistakes ahead in the count. ... I know we gave up some leadoff singles and one or two big hits when we left balls up in the zone."

He wasn't too pleased with his offense either.

"We had two or three at-bats that really stand out to me where we're trying to piece together a couple of good innings," Van Horn said. "Instead we score just one run because we don't do a good job -- flying out with the bases loaded, just little things. ... I think we have better days in front of us. I'm just really disappointed.''

Arkansas' Joe Serrano worked UCF starter Zach Rodgers for a one-out, 18-pitch at-bat in the first inning. After six consecutive foul tips, he slapped a liner to right-center and stretched it into a double.

"I got [the count to] 3-2 and he kept throwing me fastballs, and it essentially just came down to give me your best stuff and I'll give you mine,'' Serrano said. "I ended up getting a double out of it. That was it. I didn't think about how many pitches it was. It was just something that came up.''

Serrano scored on a two-out single by Rick Nomura off the glove of third baseman Tommy Williams, giving the Hogs a 1-0 lead. UCF had a chance to put some runs on the scoreboard in the top of the second, but Arkansas starter Dominic Taccolini struck out Eugene Vazquez with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Taccolini's luck didn't hold out in the third when he issued a one-out walk to Derrick Salberg who scored on Erik Barber's home run to left. James Vasquez followed with a single to center, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a bad-hop single over first base by Matt Diorio for a 3-1 lead.

UCF added two more runs in the fifth when Barber hit a double down the third-base line and scored on a single by Williams, who scored later on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

Arkansas trimmed the Knights' lead to 5-2 in the bottom half of the inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Andrew Benintendi that scored Bobby Wernes. All three Arkansas base runners reached on a walk. The Hogs added another run in the sixth when Brett McAfee reached on a two-out infield single, moved to third on a single by Wernes and scored on a hit by Carson Shaddy, who entered the game in the fifth as a pinch-hitter and remained in the game as a catcher.

Arkansas trimmed the Knight's lead to 5-4 in the seventh when Serrano led off with a home run to left, but UCF padded its lead with a four-run, four-hit eighth. Salberg slapped a double for his first hit of the season, driving in a run. Kyle Marsh also had a double against reliever Cannon Chadwick with the bases loaded that drove in two runs. A sacrifice fly by Williams accounted for UCF's other run in the inning.

Benintendi completed Arkansas' scoring with a one-out home run to left off reliever Spencer Davis in the ninth.

Serrano was joined by Nomura and Wernes, all with two hits each, as the Hogs collected 11 as a team.

Taccolini was charged with the loss, with James Teague, Kyle Pate and Chadwick all getting work. Taccolini gave up 3 runs, 2 earned, on 4 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks over 4 innings.

UCF starter Rodgers, who threw 45 pitches in the first inning alone, allowed just two runs in four innings. Harrison Hukari picked up the victory with 2 1/3 innings of work, and Davis closed out the game.

Diorio was 3 for 3 with two RBI, with Barber, Williams and Marsh adding two hits each.

"This was a good win today,'' UCF Coach Terry Rooney said. "We're off to a good start. We feel like we've got a veteran team in a lot of different ways, and so far we're pleased with how these guys have played."

Arkansas plays host South Alabama at 6:30 tonight.

Sports on 02/21/2015