Hogs show 'edge' in top-five battle, beat Gators

Arkansas second baseman Carson Shaddy (20) congratulates center fielder Dominic Fletcher (24) after Fletcher hit a home run during a game against Florida on Friday, March 23, 2018, in Gainesville, Fla.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- In a showdown of top-five teams, No. 4 Arkansas was up to the challenge of knocking off defending national champion Florida on its home field.

Junior right-hander Blaine Knight pitched 6⅔ innings, and freshman left fielder Heston Kjerstad went 3 for 3 with a home run and 2 RBI to lift the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to a 6-3 victory over the No. 2 Gators before 5,025 at McKethan Stadium.

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The Razorbacks (17-5, 4-0 SEC) bounced back from a midweek loss at UNC-Charlotte to remain unbeaten in conference play. Arkansas jumped to a 5-0 lead, handing Florida junior right-handed ace Brady Singer (5-1) his first loss of the season.

"As a coach you hope a loss is something that they can take something from," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "I thought we came out with an edge tonight with how we played."

Knight kept Florida hitters of balance, allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits while walking 4 and striking out 10. He made two mistakes -- surrendering a two-run home run to Florida second baseman Deacon Liput on a belt-high fastball in the fourth inning and giving up a solo home run to sophomore right fielder Will Dalton in the seventh.

"Give them credit," Knight said. "They ambushed two of my fastballs. They are the No. 2 team in the country for a reason. They will punish you if you mistakes."

Freshman reliever Jackson Rutledge got Arkansas out of the seventh inning, and sophomore left-hander Matt Cronin pitched the final two scoreless innings for his fourth save of the season. The Gators (19-5, 2-2 SEC) were unable to mount a rally in the late innings.

Of Knight's 107 pitches, 68 were for strikes.

"He had good command of his fastball," Van Horn said. "And good command of his cut fastball that was running in on right-handed batters."

Knight said he knew his cutter was working after facing two batters.

"It's the best that I've thrown it this season, so I stuck with it," Knight said.

The Hogs jumped on Singer for three runs in the top of the second inning. Sophomore left fielder Dominic Fletcher reached on a bunt single with one out, then Jordan McFarland worked his way back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk and put runners on first and second. Kjerstad followed with an RBI double in the left-field corner to put Arkansas up 1-0. Then, with two outs, senior second baseman Carson Shaddy lined a single off Singer's leg into right field, extending the Arkansas lead to 3-0.

Fletcher belted a solo home run to right field to lead off the fourth, putting Arkansas up 4-0. Later in the inning, Shaddy lofted a sacrifice fly to give Arkansas a 5-0 lead.

After Liput cut the Arkansas lead to 5-2 with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, Kjerstad put Arkansas up 6-2 with a solo home run to right field. Dalton's home run cut the Arkansas lead to 6-3 in the seventh.

The Razorbacks won with production from the bottom of their order, with the 5 through 9 hitters going a combined 9 for 17 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI.

"That's what I told our guys in the outfield after the game," Van Horn said. "It was a team effort. I don't think any of our top four hitters got a hit until the eighth inning."

The series will continue today at 11 a.m. with sophomore right-hander Isaiah Campbell (2-2, 1.73 ERA) starting for the Razorbacks against Florida junior right-hander Jackson Kowar (3-1, 3.16 ERA). The game will air on ESPN2

Sports on 03/24/2018