FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas center fielder Andrew Benintendi is going so well this season that even a check swing produced a hit and run batted in to help the No. 20 Razorbacks beat Tennessee 5-2 Sunday in a seven-inning game at Baum Stadium.
The Razorbacks (30-19, 15-11 SEC) and Vols (20-25, 8-18) played only one game of their scheduled doubleheader because the opener was delayed 3 1/2 hours by lightning and rain.
Next game
ARKANSAS AT CREIGHTON
WHEN 6 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE TD Ameritrade Ballpark
RECORDS Arkansas 30-19, 15-11 SEC. Creighton 27-16, 10-4 Big East.
SERIES Arkansas leads 8-5.
RADIO Razorbacks Sports Network statewide. Not all games will be carried by all affiliates. Check local listings.
PITCHING MATCHUP TBA
SHORT HOPS Arkansas has 30 or more victories for the 38th time in the last 40 seasons. … The Arkansas-Creighton game is not being shown on television or the internet. … Razorbacks center fielder Andrew Benintendi has reached base in 22 consecutive games and has one strikeout in his last 40 plate appearances. … The Razorbacks have won 11 of their past 14 games against Tennessee. … Arkansas finished the regular season with a 21-11 record at Baum Stadium.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY Off
TUESDAY at Creighton 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY Off
THURSDAY at Georgia 6 p.m.
FRIDAY at Georgia 6 p.m.
SATURDAY at Georgia 6 p.m.
SUNDAY Off
MONDAY Off
James over
Benintendi, who bats left handed, came up with the bases loaded and one out in the second inning. On the first pitch from Tennessee left-hander Drake Owenby, he checked his swing.
The ball dribbled down the third-base line as Michael Bernal scored to put the Razorbacks ahead 3-1, and Benintendi was safe at first on an infield hit.
"He made a good pitch," Benintendi said. "It was a slider low and away, and it kind of fooled me.
"I tried to check my swing and I was fortunate enough to put it in a good spot."
Benintendi came into the game batting .394.
"We've been joking around all year that he hasn't gotten any kind of cheap hits," Arkansas senior left fielder Joe Serrano said. "He finally got his first."
"When it's going good, it's going good," Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said.
Benintendi went 3 for 3 -- including a line-drive single to right field in the first inning and double down the right-field line the fifth -- to raise his batting average to .405. He went 6 for 7 against the Vols, including 3 for 4 in Tennessee's 5-4 victory Friday night, with two doubles and his 16th home run.
"I'm just trying to hit the ball hard, and they seem to be falling," Benintendi said.
Benintendi is batting .442 in SEC games with eight home runs and 19 runs batted in.
"For a month now he's been on fire," Van Horn said.
Brett McAfee singled in Benintendi in to put the Razorbacks ahead 4-2 in the fifth inning. Rick Nomura's home run in the sixth inning made it 5-2.
Arkansas freshman Keaton McKinney -- normally No. 3 in the SEC rotation -- started Sunday and went 4 2/3 innings to improve to 5-1. He got the victory because it was a seven-inning game.
Sophomore Dominic Taccolini, who has been the Razorbacks' No. 2 starter, pitched 2 1/3 innings for his first save.
Taccolini came into the game with the Razorbacks leading 3-2 with two outs in the fifth inning and Chris Hall on third base and kept Arkansas ahead by retiring Nick Senzel on a groundout.
McKinney had retired nine in a row going into the fifth inning, then gave up singles to Jordan and Rodgers and Hall, and the Vols scored on a bunt by Benito Santiago and groundout by Parker Wormsley to make it 3-2.
Van Horn said McKinney's command of his pitches started to slide in the fifth inning, so he and pitching coach Dave Jorn made the decision to go to Taccolini.
"Taccolini was probably a little bit disappointed that he didn't get to start," Van Horn said. "We knew he would come in and get it done, and he did."
Taccolini, who made his first relief appearance of the season, said he may have warmed up too quickly in the bullpen.
"In the game I kind of figured it out on the warm-up pitches," Taccolini said. "I made some good pitches and got the dude out in a big situation. Then I kind of settled in from there."
Arkansas took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Serrano and Benintendi singled and Tyler Spoon was hit by a pitch by Vols starter Hunter Martin to load the bases. Serrano scored on a wild pitch.
Tennessee tied it 1-1 in the second inning on Andrew Lee's home run. The Razorbacks went ahead 3-1 with two runs in the bottom of the second inning, including Clark Eagan's RBI single.
"I was just proud of our guys bouncing back after a long delay and not playing well on Friday," Van Horn said. "To us, it was a must win.
"We obviously needed to win it at least to tie the series and get that 30th win and probably more importantly get that 15th win in league play."
Sunday was Arkansas' last regular-season home game. The Razorbacks are still hopeful of hosting an NCAA Regional.
Serrano was among the seniors honored during a pregame ceremony.
"It feels like we're brothers out there," Serrano said. "I'm going to miss it."
Sunday might also have been Benintendi's final home game. The sophomore is draft eligible for this year's Major League draft because he turns 21 on July 6.
The draft will be held June 8-10 and any college player who turns 21 within 45 days of the draft is eligible rather than having to wait until after his junior season.
"You never know, I might be back," Benintendi said. "It depends on some things."
Sports on 05/11/2015