FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ 6-2 victory over Creighton on Tuesday night at Baum Stadium was a reprieve from its recent struggles.
It was also the Razorbacks’ third consecutive nonconference victory in the midst of an eight-game SEC losing streak, but beating the Bluejays before an announced crowd of 1,541 carries a little more significance.
Up next
ARKANSAS AT KENTUCKY
WHEN 6 p.m. Thursday WHERE Cliff Hagan Stadium, Lexington, Ky.
RADIO Razorback Sports Network. Not all games will be carried by all affiliates. Check local listings. TELEVISION SEC Network
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY Off
THURSDAY at Kentucky * , 6 p.m.
FRIDAY at Kentucky * , 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY at Kentucky * , noon
SUNDAY Off
MONDAY Off
TUESDAY vs. Oklahoma State, 6:30 p.m.
*SEC game
Arkansas’ previous two nonconference victories were 12-4 at Memphis (13-23) and 3-1 against Louisiana-Monroe (15-21) in North Little Rock.
Creighton (26-8) had won five consecutive games and 19 of 22 before losing to the Razorbacks.
“It’s good to get a win against a good team,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “We feel like we can play with anybody if we make some pitches and get a timely hit here or there.”
Arkansas sophomore right fielder Chad Spanberger went 3 for 3 — including a home run and double — and matched his career-high with four runs driven in. He reached base four times, including a walk in the eighth inning.
I went back to my old bat,” Spanberger said. “I think that helped a lot. I switched bats right before the game. I wasn’t feeling it with the other one.”
Spanberger’s two-out, tworun home run on a 2-0 pitch from Creighton starter Austin Stroschein put the Razorbacks (22-15, 4-11 SEC) ahead 2-0 in the second inning.
“It was a great night for Chad,” Van Horn said. “His first at-bat, he did a good job of laying off the first pitch, a slider down and in.
“So it was a 1-0 count instead of 0-1. The next pitch was a ball, so a 2-0 count. He got him a fastball, and he hit it over the fence. That’s the way you do it.”
Senior shortstop Michael Bernal, junior first baseman Clark Eagan and sophomore left fielder Luke Bonfield went 2 for 4 for the Razorbacks.
Bernal, who earlier in the season batted eighth, hit cleanup for the first time.
“I thought he did a good job,” Van Horn said. “It doesn’t matter with Mike where he hits. He’s that confident this year. He’s having that kind of year, and I’ll probably put him there again.”
Other changes Van Horn made Tuesday included moving Eagan from center field to first base, Carson Shaddy from third base to center field, and starting Cody Scroggins at third base and Grant Koch at catcher.
Eagan has played first base at times this season and Koch made his 11th start, but it was Scroggins’ first start at third and Shaddy’s first start at center.
“I didn’t just throw it out there to throw it out there,” Van Horn said of the changes. “I wanted to see it.
“Why not? That’s the way I look at it. Sometimes you’ve just got to change things up when it’s not going good and experiment.”
The Bluejays are the first team with a winning record Arkansas has beaten since the Razorbacks’ 7-6 victory over Missouri on April 1. That also had been the last time Arkansas won at Baum Stadium before Tuesday.
“It was big to get that winning feeling back in the clubhouse,” Eagan said.
Freshman right-hander Isaiah Campbell (3-0) started for the Razorbacks and pitched three shutout innings for the victory. He allowed 2 hits without a walk and had 2 strikeouts.
Campbell threw 18 strikes on 26 pitches.
“He’s got a good arm, and he’s a little sneaky, throws the ball on a downhill angle,” Van Horn said. “If he works hard and if he can develop a good breaking ball, he can be a good pitcher at this level and beyond.”
Weston Rogers, a freshman left-hander from Springdale Har-Ber, pitched two scoreless innings for the Razorbacks. Senior Doug Willey got a save for Arkansas after getting the final four outs.