FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas' pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts and the Razorbacks beat ULM 11-2 on Wednesday to sweep a two-game midweek series.
Arkansas also beat ULM by nine runs Tuesday at Baum Stadium.
Sophomore left-hander Kacey Murphy struck out a career-high nine in five innings to record his first career win. Murphy allowed two runs on three hits in his first start.
"He was using three pitches," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "Obviously a fastball, but then he was throwing really good change-ups to the right handers and throwing a breaking ball to some of the lefties, and mixing a breaker a little bit to some of the righties. But he mixed it up really well and kept them off balance. He gave us a chance to build up a lead."
Murphy allowed a leadoff single by the Warhawks but retired the next 13 batters before allowing a one-out walk in the fifth inning. The Rogers native had only pitched a combined 2 2/3 innings in three relief appearances prior to Wednesday.
His outing Wednesday strengthened his case for the first left-hander out of the bullpen on the weekend.
"I’m just wanting to try to prove my spot and I’ll work from there," Murphy said. "I can start now, I can do short relief, I can be a situation kind of guy. Whatever the coach tells me to do, I’ll just do it and hopefully get the same results."
Freshmen Matt Cronin and Jacob Kostyshock each threw two scoreless innings for the Razorbacks (10-3). Cronin, a left-hander, hasn't allowed a run in his first two appearances.
Arkansas took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Dominic Fletcher's three-run home run to right field with two outs. It was the third home run this season for the freshman center fielder, who finished the game 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
"Fletcher didn't waste any time," Van Horn said. "He got a hanging breaking ball and hit a laser down the right field line. We knew right when it left the bat that it was out of the park and it was going to stay fair."
The Razorbacks added three runs in the second and five runs in the fifth to pull away from the Warhawks (4-10). ULM starter Kyle Backofen allowed 6 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks in a 4-inning start.
The Warhakws scored their only runs in the top of the fifth to pull within 6-2. Blake Buckman had an RBI double off Murphy and Brady McGehee followed with an RBI single two batters later.
Arkansas responded with its second five-run inning in as many games. Fletcher scored on a wild pitch, Jake Arledge hit a two-run single and Chad Spanberger and Grant Koch each added RBI singles.
Koch increased his RBI total to 19, which is second in the SEC.
Arkansas is scheduled to host Rhode Island (5-6) for three games this weekend, beginning Friday at 3 p.m.