FAYETTEVILLE — Dave Van Horn called it three innings earlier. The Arkansas coach wanted a more relaxed approach.
It didn't take until a lineup change that forced relief pitcher Cannon Chadwick to the plate in the ninth.
Chadwick walked on a 3-2 pitch, then scored when Jax Biggers and Jake Arledge hit back-to-back singles.
There was nothing to relax a team like a pitcher walking, then scoring a walk-off run in the ninth for a 3-2 victory over pesky Alcorn State on Tuesday afternoon at Baum Stadium. Chadwick, instead of Arledge, was mobbed by the Razorbacks.
“That's kind of funny because usually it's the guy getting the hit, but they came after Cannon,” Arledge said. “I loved that.”
Chadwick came to bat in the ninth after Van Horn elected to move Grant Koch from designated hitter to catcher late in the game after Alcorn State took some running liberties against Alex Gosser, the senior backup. Koch threw out the only runner who tried to run on him for the second out of the Alcorn ninth.
But that move meant the Hogs lost their DH, meaning Chadwick had to bat in the ninth. Van Horn didn't sub because Chadwick would have gone back to the mound in the 10th if the Hogs didn't score.
Chadwick hadn't hit in a game since 2012 as a freshman at Paris (Texas) Junior College. He said he hadn't taken batting practice the last two years at Arkansas.
“I hit in JC, but they told me I had better hang that up,” Chadwick said. “I wasn't going to make my living doing that.”
Chadwick (2-0) has been one of the best pitchers for the Hogs. He does have a pro future based on the way he's pitched this year.
The Hogs were in a jubilant mode after fighting back from a 2-1 deficit against the Braves. Van Horn said he sensed his team was pressing and tight earlier in the game. That wasn't the case when Chadwick came to the plate in the ninth.
“I told them to relax,” Van Horn said. “They were trying to do too much. That was my message earlier: calm down, don't panic. I don't think there was panic, but I did think the guys were nervous. They were starting to count how many outs we had left.
“Really, what Cannon did is what I wanted them to do, just play. That's all he was doing out there at the plate, just play baseball. He relaxed and wasn't worried about it. He laid off some pitches and had an aggressive swing at a fast ball. Hopefully, our guys saw that and learned something.
“I hope they got it and I hope they pick it up.”
The Hogs tied it in the seventh when Arledge lifted a sacrifice fly to center. Jaxon Williams singled and Biggers doubled to start the inning.
Williams popped out to right to start the ninth to bring Chadwick to the plate. Van Horn said there were no plans to lift his pitcher.
“(Alcorn State) had their 2-3-4 guys coming up if we didn't score,” Van Horn said. “He's one of our most experienced pitchers.”
Chadwick looked back at the dugout from the on deck circle before heading to the plate. It was really for nothing because he didn't know the signs and Van Horn wasn't going to give him any.
“There were no signs,” Van Horn said, noting once Chadwick got to first there was direct communication from first base coach Josh Elander.
“It was just run to second, run to third. Nothing more than that. If we were going to put something on, (first base coach Josh) Elander would have been in his ear.”
First, Chadwick had to battle Alcorn State reliever Anthony Acosta. The first pitch was a called strike, although Chadwick snapped his head around to the home plate umpire in obvious disbelief.
“I thought maybe the strike zone has changed since the last time I batted,” Chadwick said. “On the at-bat, they didn't give me much time to think about it. I'm a no sign guy. I was going to swing if I thought it was a strike.”
Strike two was a swing and a miss at a high fastball, if that's what you call an 85 mph pitch.
“I got to first base and asked Coach Elander if I was late on the fastball,” Chadwick said. “And he said yes.”
Chadwick didn't think about taking an extra base on Biggers' hit.
“I was slow as Christmas going to second,” he said.
Arledge bounced his hit between the two infielders on the right side. Right fielder Wilbert Malphus didn't make much of a throw – with three bounces – and Chadwick scored standing up.
“He's no sprinter,” Van Horn said. “We've got pitchers faster, but Cannon acted like he'd done it before.”
There were other highlights in the game. Arledge went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI to raise his average to .377. He also gunned down a runner at the plate from center field, then hit Biggers for a relay for another out at the plate.
“He's having a great season,” Van Horn said of Arledge. “That's why he's playing every day. He deserves to be in the lineup.”
Arledge is a senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., via Panola (Texas) JC. He hit .245 for the Hogs last year, but said he's more confident this season.
“Last year, it was my first year of DI baseball,” he said. “It was a big campus, so many fans. I wasn't as confident as I am now.”
Arledge said he did watch Chadwick running the bases after his hit.
Before Arledge could answer a question about the speed of his pitcher, Chadwick wanted to remind the outfielder of something.
“Tell them what I always say,” Chadwick said.
“Yeah, he says I'm his guy,” Arledge said. “He wants me out there if he's on the mound. But to answer your question, I saw him run. I watched him the whole way; pretty fun.”
It was fun. Chadwick is going to keep his first name, the best for a pitcher. He will still be Cannon when the Hogs meet Alcorn State again at 3 p.m. Wednesday. No one is going to change his first name to Dash.
That would be too much fun.