Arkansas 7, Alabama 4 - Final
Barrett Loseke gave up a leadoff walk, but Jax Biggers turned a double play to erase it and Loseke struck out Chandler Taylor to end the game.
Arkansas improved to 26-3 at Baum Stadium this season and has won every series it has played at home. The Razorbacks are 10-1 in home SEC games. Arkansas will go for the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Razorbacks kind of quietly struck out 16, two games after fanning 17 against Texas Tech. Kacey Murphy had 11 of those, a career-high.
Luke Bonfield (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) and Jack Kenley (2-for-3, 2 RBI) were the offensive heroes for Arkansas. Jordan McFarland also had two hits.
Arkansas improved to 31-13 overall and 12-8 in SEC games. The Razorbacks have a one-half game lead in the SEC West over Ole Miss. Alabama fell to 23-22 overall and 5-15 in SEC play.
We'll have more at WholeHogSports.com after postgame interviews.
Arkansas 7, Alabama 4 - End 8th Inning
Jack Kenley singled with one out, but Alabama ended the inning when second baseman Chandler Avant made a great defensive stop to begin a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Arkansas 7, Alabama 4 - Middle 8th Inning
Alabama scored one against Arkansas reliever Cody Scroggins in the eighth. The RBI came on the first pitch from Barrett Loseke, but Loseke struck out Jett Manning to end the inning and strand two Crimson Tide runners.
Both teams have eight hits. Alabama has stranded seven runners to six by Arkansas.
Arkansas 7, Alabama 3 - Bottom 7th Inning
Luke Bonfield is having an outstanding game. He just launched a 3-1 pitch into the left field Hog Pen for his sixth home run of the season, a leadoff homer in the seventh. He is 3-for-4 tonight with 2 RBI.
Arkansas 6, Alabama 3 - Middle 7th Inning
Evan Lee quickly sat Alabama down in order in the top of the seventh with two foul outs and a pop up.
The attendance tonight is 10,081.
Arkansas 6, Alabama 3 - End 6th Inning
Heston Kjerstad's RBI single scored Jack Kenley, but Eric Cole was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Kjerstad's hit was a line drive past a diving second baseman, but did not go deep into the outfield. Right fielder Chandler Taylor charged it and made a perfect strike to home plate to get Cole.
Arkansas scored four runs on three hits and four walks in that inning.
Arkansas 5, Alabama 3 - Bottom 6th Inning
Eric Cole and Casey Martin have drawn back-to-back walks. Martin's came with the bases loaded to score Jax Biggers and give the Razorbacks a 5-3 lead.
Arkansas has had five straight batters reach with two outs, including four by way of the walk.
Arkansas 4, Alabama 3 - Bottom 6th Inning
Jack Kenley just hit a two-run single with two outs in the sixth to give Arkansas the lead. Kenley's hit came at the end of a nine-pitch at-bat in which he fouled off seven pitches. He lined a 1-2 pitch into center field to score Jordan McFarland and Jax Biggers. The Razorbacks had loaded the bases with two walks and a fielder's choice.
Kenley, who is playing because of an injury to Carson Shaddy, had only a .250 batting average before that hit.
Alabama 3, Arkansas 2 - Top 6th Inning
A big momentum swing here, as Heston Kjerstad grounded out to strand three in the fifth and Alabama hit back-to-back home runs off Kacey Murphy to lead off the sixth inning.
Sam Praytor hit a home run to left field and Joe Breaux followed with a homer off the video board in left, his second homer of this series. Alabama has scored all three of its runs tonight off solo home runs.
That's all for Murphy, who is being replaced by Evan Lee. Murphy's final line: 5 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts.
Arkansas 2, Alabama 1 - Bottom 5th Inning
Arkansas has finally given Kacey Murphy the lead. Eric Cole's sacrifice fly to left-center field scored Jordan McFarland with two outs in the fifth. McFarland had reached on a leadoff single.
Alabama is going to the bullpen as Arkansas has the bases loaded for Heston Kjerstad.
Murphy continues to pitch well for Arkansas. His only blemish is the home run in Alabama's first at-bat of the game and he has a career-high 11 strikeouts.
Arkansas does not have any movement in its bullpen, but Murphy has to be nearing the end of his night. He has thrown 98 pitches through five innings.
Arkansas 1, Alabama 1 - End 4th Inning
Kacey Murphy struck out three more in the fourth inning, tying his career-high with 10 strikeouts. But Arkansas' batters aren't providing run support for Murphy. The Razorbacks have gone down in order two innings in a row and haven't had a base runner in eight straight at-bats.
Arkansas 1, Alabama 1 - End 3rd Inning
Arkansas went down in order in the third inning. Casey Martin had the best swing of the inning, a line drive to left field that came about 5 feet shy of a home run. It was caught at the warning track.
Alabama is out-hitting Arkansas 3-2.
Arkansas 1, Alabama 1 - Middle 3rd Inning
Kacey Murphy had another long inning, including a 10-pitch at-bat to Chandler Avant that ended in a swinging strikeout. Murphy also struck out Sam Praytor to end the inning, stranding Chandler Taylor, who singled with one out.
Murphy has seven strikeouts tonight, but he has had to throw 58 pitches through three innings.
Arkansas 1, Alabama 1 - End 2nd Inning
Both pitchers faced the minimum in the second. Kacey Murphy bounced back nicely and needed only nine pitches to record a groundout and two strikeouts. He has five strikeouts tonight.
Jordan McFarland reached on a leadoff single for Arkansas, but he was thrown out trying to steal second base. Grant Koch and Jax Biggers both struck out looking against Alabama's Jake Walters to end the inning.
Arkansas 1, Alabama 1 - End 1st Inning
Arkansas pitcher Kacey Murphy struggled a little out of the gate, giving up a 2-2 leadoff home run to Cobie Vance, issuing a walk with no outs and a one-out single. He recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning, but had to throw 30 pitches.
Arkansas answered with a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning. Heston Kjerstad walked, advanced to second on an errant pickoff attempt by pitcher Jake Walters and scored on Luke Bonfield's RBI single to left field. Bonfield fouled off a two-strike pitch before lining the 3-2 pitch over the head of the third baseman.