Hogs win on wild pitch in extra innings

Arkansas second baseman Carson Shaddy rounds the bases on his way to the plate against Memphis Tuesday, April 18, 2017, after center fielder Dominic Fletcher hit a three-run triple during the third inning at Baum Stadium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carson Shaddy raced home on a wild pitch by Tyler Eckberg to lift the No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks to a 6-5 victory over Kansas State on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium before an announced crowd of 2,988.

Shaddy led off the bottom of the 10th with a single off Eckberg and went to second base on Eric Cole’s groundout. Dominic Fletcher was then intentionally walked to set up a double play, and Jax Biggers grounded out to first base to advance both runners.

Kansas State left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th inning when freshman Jacob Kostyshock — who had thrown 4 1/3 innings on the season coming into the game and was Arkansas’ ninth pitcher of the game — struck out Cameron Thompson swinging on a 3-2 pitch.

Arkansas (33-10) got the potential winning run to second base with no outs in the bottom of the ninth when Evan Lee drew a leadoff walk stole second base. But Ekberg got out of the jam by striking out Chad Spanberger, intentionally walking Luke Bonfield and striking out Grant Koch and getting Jared Gates on a popout to send the game to the 10th inning.

K-State (21-20) had a chance to win in the top of the ninth. Cameron Thompson drew a one-out walk against Jake Reindl and went to third on Jake Scudder’s single, but Reindl struck out Steve Serratore and Fletcher caught up to Josh Rollette’s deep fly to center field to keep the scored tied 5-5.

The Wildcats stranded 13 base runners, including 10 over the final five innings.

Arkansas tied the game 5-5 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning when Cole beat the first baseman Scudder’s throw home to score on Jake Arledge's fielder’s choice ground ball and Fletcher scored on Bonfield’s flyout to right field.

The Wildcats had runners at second and third base with out out in the eighth, but Cannon Chadwick got Josh Ethier on a popout to the shortstop Biggers and Reindl got Will Brennan on a flyout to the center fielder Fletcher to strand them.

Arkansas also stranded runners on first and second base — after Shaddy and singled and Cole walked — in the bottom of the eighth when Jordan Floyd struck out Fletcher and Biggers.

Kansas State took a 5-3 lead with three runs in the top of the seventh, including a two-run home run by Quintin Crandell against Angus Denton.

Arkansas scored three runs with two outs in the fifth inning off Matt Zumbrandt — Kansas State’s third pitcher of the game — to take a 3-1 lead with the help of pinch-hit singles by Fletcher and Evan Lee.

Lee singled in Shaddy, who drew leadoff walk, and Fletcher scored on Spanbeger’s double off the right field wall.

Kansas State closed within 3-2 on Josh Rollette’s two-out RBI single off Josh Alberius in the sixth inning. Alberius then got Hans Harker on a popout two leave runners at first and second base.

Scudder hit a home run leading off the second inning off Kevin Kopps to put Kansas State ahead 1-0. It was Scudder’s 12th home run of the season.

Matt Cronin pitched three scoreless innings for the Razorbacks and had five strikeouts.

The game started at 5:30 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than scheduled, because of the threat of inclement weather. It lasted 4 hours, 25 minutes.

It was the first time Arkansas played Kansas State since the 2013 NCAA Tournament when the Wildcats won 4-3 in Manhattan, Kan.

The Razorbacks improved to 4-0 in MLB stadiums the last two seasons. They went 3-0 at Minute Made Park — home of the Houston Astros — last season with victories over Rice, Houston and Texas.

Arkansas opens a three-game series against Ole Miss on Thursday at Baum Stadium.