FAYETTEVILLE — In a game featuring an all-American, it was a reliever who stood out on the mound in Game 1 Friday at Baum Stadium.
Arkansas sophomore Barrett Loseke pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in a 5-2 win over Rhode Island in the first game of a doubleheader. The Razorbacks swept the doubleheader with a 3-2 win in Game 2.
Loseke allowed 3 hits, struck out 3 and didn’t allow a walk to earn his second win of the season in a relief role. The right-hander entered with the game tied 2-2 in the fifth inning and retired the first six batters he faced.
“I pretty much just had my fastball and slider today,” Loseke said. “Sometimes when it gets cold I lose my off-speed pitches, but I got ahold of it and my slider felt good.”
Loseke allowed time for the Razorbacks to overcome a slow start at the plate. Arkansas (12-3) recorded only one hit through the first five innings - a two-out home run by Dominic Fletcher to right field in the second inning to give the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead.
Arkansas was out-hit 9-5 in the opener, but three of its hits scored a run. The Razorbacks also walked nine times.
“That’s what won us the ballgame,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “They out-hit us and both teams played decent defense, but we walked. We finally got some hits and drove in some runs.”
Arkansas was able to chase Rhode Island left-hander Tyler Wilson in the fourth inning when the 2016 all-American walked three straight batters, including Jordan McFarland with the bases loaded to tie the game 2-2.
Wilson, a left-hander, walked 4 and struck out 5 in a 3 1/3-inning no decision for the Rams (5-8).
“We noticed (Wilson) was missing up and away a lot,” Arkansas left fielder Luke Bonfield said. “After the first couple of innings we were able to wear him down and got him to work the count a lot.”
Arkansas took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning when Rhode Island reliever Vitaly Jangols’ wild pitch allowed McFarland to score from third. Jake Arledge added an RBI single off Jangols to extend the lead to 4-2.
Bonfield’s solo home run to left field to leadoff the seventh inning gave the Razorbacks a 5-2 lead.
Arkansas starter Blaine Knight allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out 4 in a 4 1/3-inning start.
Knight allowed three straight hits to start Rhode Island’s two-run fourth. Chris Hess’ RBI double tied the game 1-1 and the Rams took a 2-1 lead when Hess scored on Mike Corin’s two-out double.
ARKANSAS 3, RHODE ISLAND 2 (Game 2)
Arkansas left fielder Luke Bonfield hit a game-winning single with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Razorbacks a 3-2 win over Rhode Island.
Bonfield’s hit scored Hunter Wilson, who reached on an infield single to leadoff the bottom of the ninth. Rhode Island tied the game with Mike Corin’s two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth.
Corin’s hit came off reliever Cannon Chadwick, who replaced Arkansas starter Trevor Stephan with one out in the ninth. Stephan left the game with the bases loaded following back-to-back outs by second baseman Carson Shaddy and shortstop Jax Biggers. Shaddy’s error was his team-leading seventh of the season.
“To give it up there in the ninth on a couple of plays that could have ended it…it’s a good learning experience that the game is never over and you’ve got to stay hooked up and concentrate,” Van Horn said.
Stephan lost a perfect game with one out in the seventh inning. The right-hander retired the first 19 Rhode Island batters before Martin Figueroa reached on an error by Shaddy. Stephan lost a no-hitter in the next at-bat when Chris Hess singled past the third baseman.
Stephan struck out a career-high 13, four more than his previous high of nine set last Saturday against Nebraska at the Frisco Classic. His 19 consecutive outs were one shy of a school record set twice, most recently by Richie Nye during a 1996 no-hitter against Iowa State.
“That felt like my best outing with location and all that,” Stephan said.
The Razorbacks took a 1-0 lead when Wilson scored on Chad Spanberger’s sacrifice fly in the third inning. Jake Arledge extended the lead to 2-0 in the fifth with his third home run.