Arkansas 11, UALR 2 End of Main Scrimmage
Casey Martin's two-run single to left increased the Arkansas lead to 11-2. Christian Franklin singled to the hole to the right of the shortstop. Jacob Nesbit singled to right center. Franklin dashed to third and Nesbit took second on the throw. Martin bounced a single to left field to plate both. Dominic Fletcher popped out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Razorbacks turned it over to Matt Cronin, their closer. The junior lefty fanned the side, the top of the lineup.
That marked the end of a regulation game. The teams will take a 20-minute break and play five innings with reserves to conclude the scrimmage. The Hogs won that five-inning stint, 5-1. Combined over the 14 innings, the Hogs won, 16-3. The break gave the teams a chance to warm up their second line players. The scoreboard was refreshed to all goose eggs.
Casey Optiz and Casey Martin had three hits for the Hogs in the combined pair of scrimmages. Opitz scored four runs and Martin drove in four runs.
Christian Franklin and Jacob Nesbit had two hits apiece. Nesbit, redshirt freshmen from Coppell, Texas, had 3 RBI. Casey Martin added a 2-run single.
There were several pitching highlights for the Razorbacks. Starting pitcher Isaiah Campbell pitched three scoreless innings. He worked out of a no-out, bases loaded jam in the third with two strikeouts and a ground out. Redshirt junior Kevin Kopps worked a scoreless eighth. Kopps allowed a one-out walk. He missed last season with Tommy John surgery and is expected to contend for a spot in the weekend starting rotation in the spring.
EXTENDED SCRIMMAGE (10-14 innings)
10th Inning- Dillon Lifrieri fanned to open the Arkansas top half. Jack Kenley was out on a bunt attempt. Elijah Trest faned. Arkansas opened with 6-3 lefty Caden Monke on the mound. Casey Martin moved to second and Jack Kenley moved to shortstop. Monke allowed a one-out single, but got out of the inning with a strike-out, caught stealing. Casey Opitz, who played first base in the regulation part of the night, moved to catcher and got the caught stealing.
11th Inning - The Hogs plated three to open the frame. Casey Optiz singled Curtis Washington walked and both moved up on Zack Gregory's sac bunt. Matt Goodheart walked to load the bases and Opitz scored on a wild pitch. Casey Martin drove in two with a double to the wall in left center. With Connor McCullough pitching for the Hogs, the Trojans answered with a double and an RBI single to make it 3-1. Casey Optiz threw out his second runner of the extra session to end the inning.
12th Inning - The Hogs got two runs on wild pitches. Casey Opitz did get it started with a double, but two walks and two wild pitches did the real damage. The Hogs lead 5-1. Evan Taylor is in to pitch the bottom of the inning. The Hogs' freshman is 6-4, 235 in the program, but it sure looks like the lefty might be heavier. He hit his first batter and the third, but settled in with two strikeouts to get out of trouble.
13th Inning - Dominic Fletcher singled and stole second to lead off for the Hogs, but was stranded. Collin Taylor will pitch for the Hogs. He's a 5-11, 220-pound redshirt sophomore righthander, a transfer from Walters State College. He allowed one hit. On a side note, Casey Opitz moved to second base. He's played first, caught and played second on the night. He's had put outs and assists at all three positions. Opitz has three hits and four runs on the night.
14th Inning -- The Hogs went 1-2-3 in the top of the inning, two were by strikeouts (Elijah Trest and Brady Disher). Angus Denton, the submarine sophomore pitcher from Beebe, is pitching the final half inning of the night. He worked a 1-2-3 14th inning.
The Hogs gave up only two runs on the night in the 14 innings, the same as they did last week in beating Wichita State, 10-1. The Hogs outscored UALR, 16-2, on the night.
THE REGULATION SCRIMMAGE (1-9 Innings)
Arkansas 9, UALR 2 -- End of 8th Inning
Casey Optiz walked and Christian Franklin doubled into the corner in right field. Opitz was held at third. Jacob Nesbit lined a two-run single to right to give the Hogs an 8-2 lead. That brought on McKinley Moore from the bullpen for UALR. Nesbit stole second. Matt Goodheart was hit by pitch. Casey Martin walked to load the bases. Dominic Fletcher and Zack Plunkett both fanned, then Jack Kenley drew an RBI walk to make it 9-2. Trey Harris made two bids to plate more. His liner was just wide of the bag, then he stroked one fair to the left of third baseman Christian Reyes. A head-long dive caught the one-hopper and Harris was out at first on a close play.
The Hogs handed the ball to redshirt junior Kevin Kopps for the bottom of the eighth. Kopps missed last season because of Tommy John surgery. He did not pitch in the scrimmage against Wichita State last week. He has pitched in live situations in intra-squad scrimmages. He gave up a one-out walk, then threw wildly to first on a pick-off move. But he struck out the last two batters of the inning.
Arkansas 6, UALR 2 -- End 7th Inning
UALR brought on Aaron Funk to pitch. Jack Kenley doubled off the wall in right with two outs, but was stranded when Trey Harris flied out to center.
Cody Scroggins came on to pitch the 7th for the Hogs. Christian Reyes opened with a sinking liner to left. Matt Goodheart had a late move in, then dove head long. He missed and was just late on the throw to second as the ball bounced behind him. After a ground out, Chase Coker stroked a clean RBI single to center to score Reyes. Riley Pittman and Josh Nowak both lined out to the outfield to end the inning.
Arkansas 6, UALR 1 -- End 6th Inning
Christian Franklin was hit by Ortiz, then stole second base. Jacob Nesbit bounced out to short with Franklin taking third base. He scored on a wild pitch to put the Hogs ahead, 6-1. Casey Martin popped out to left.
The Trojans opened with a Troy Alexander's single to center. But they went quietly after that. Ramage got the final two outs by strikeout.
Arkansas 5, UALR 1 -- End 5th Inning
The rain -- that hit briefly in the fourth -- has stopped. UALR brings on Pablo Ortiz to pitch the 5th. Ortiz is a 6-1 senior righthander. Dominic Fletcher lined out to deep right field. Zack Plunkett walked. Jack Kenley was out on a shallow fly to left field. Trey Harris singled to left. Casey Opitz bounced out to second to strand two. It is the first inning the Hogs have not scored since the first.
Kole Ramage is on to pitch the fifth for the Hogs. Eldridge Figueroa fanned. Chase Coker walked. Riley PIttman fanned, with Coker stealing second on the swing on a low pitch. Garrett Scott bounced out to Casey Martin at short to end the frame.
The Razorbacks have outhit the Trojans, 7-4. UALR has made the game's only two errors.
Arkansas 5, UALR 1 -- After 4th Inning
Donavin Buck got the first two Razorbacks. Casey Opitz was called out on strikes. Christian Franklin flied to deep left center. Jacob Nesbit's grounder was booted by the shortstop for an error. Nesbit stole second without a throw when the catcher had to dig the pitch out of the dirt. Matt Goodheart bounced an RBI single to right to score Nesbit for a 5-0 lead. Goodheart stole second. Casey Martin bounced out to third to end the top of the fourth.
Jacob Kostyshock, 6-4 junior, will pitch for the Hogs to open the bottom of the fourth. Troy Alexander greeted Kostyshock with a towering solo homer to right field. Ryan Benediez popped to left field. James Gunn was called out on strikes. Miguel Soto worked a walk on a 3-2 count. Christian Reyes also worked a 3-2 count, then struck out swinging to end the inning.
Arkansas 4, UALR 0 - End 3rd Inning
The Trojans send 6-6 senior Donavin Buck to the mound to start the third inning. Casey Martin greeted Buck with a liner inside the bag at third. It went to the wall in left for a stand-up double. Dominic Fletcher handcuffed the first baseman with a one-hop liner. It dribbled behind him. The second baseman flipped the ball to first base, but no one covered for an error. Martin scored from second when the catcher had to come off the plate to retrieve the wide throw. Fletcher reached second when the catcher threw high. It's 4-0 Razorbacks. Zack Plunkett, Jack Kenley and Trey Harris were retired 1-2-3 to end the Hogs' threat.
Campbell fought back from some self-inflicted damage to get out of a bases loaded jam as sprinkles arrived at Gary Hogan Field. Miguel Soto reached to open the UALR third on a hit by pitch. Christian Reyes walked. With rain beginning to fall, Eldridge Figueroa bunted for a hit to load the bases. Isaiah Campbell and Jack Kenley collided trying to make the play. Chase Coker fanned on a failed checked swing. Riley Pittman, who had doubled in the first, was out swinging, fouling into catcher Zach Plunkett's mitt. Garrett Scott bounced out to a charging Casey Martin at short as Campbell wiggled out of the jam.
Arkansas 3, UALR 0 - End 2nd Inning
Jack Kenley singled, a bouncer slipping under the second baseman's glove to his right. Kenley stole second. Little Rock product Trey Harris stroked a liner to left field and Kenley scored without a throw to give the Hogs a 1-0 lead. With Harris running, Casey Opitz bounced a single to right field. Harris motored to third. Opitz took second on the next pitch, a ball in the dirt that the catcher could not handle cleanly. It was ruled a wild pitch. Christian Franklin plated Harris with a deep sacrifice fly to center with Optiz taking third. Jacob Nesbit lined to deep right for another sacrifice fly to score Opitz. Goodheart popped out in foul territory to the third baseman to end the top of the second.
Campbell sailed through the UALR lineup in the second. He needed only four pitches to get three outs. There was a ground out and two pops to medium left and right field.
Arkansas 0, UALR 0 - After 1st Inning
Hayden Arnold is the starting pitcher for the Trojans. He's a 6-3 senior righhander from Rison. Matt Goodheart lined out to open the game, then Arnold seemed to have some soreness issues. He was allowed to throw three warm-up pitches with a 1-1 count to Casey Martin. UALR coach Chris Curry came to the mound and Arnold decided to continue. Martin bounced out to third on the next pitch. Dominic Fletcher walked on a 3-2 pitch. Zack Plunkett struck out to end the top of the frame.
Isaiah Campbell is the starting pitcher for the Razorbacks. He's a 6-4 junior. After missing on his first two pitches, Campbell fanned Eldridge Figueroa on three straight swings. Chase Coker singled to center. He was gunned down at second by Plunkett. Coker had a good jump, but Plunkett's throw was a laser, on the bag. That saved a run because Riley Pittman followed with a lined double off the wall in right. Garrett Scott's bouncer was fielded nicely by third baseman Jack Kenley moving to his left in front of the shortstop. His low throw was scooped at first by Casey Opitz for the third out of the opening inning.
Pre-Game
Former Arkansas coach Norm DeBriyn and UA-Little Rock coach Gary Hogan were both introduced and warm applause followed.
It's a sold out crowd of around 1,200. The stands are full and folks are on the grass berms behind the Arkansas dugout in law chairs. The parking lot was full 45 minutes before the game and over flow was sent to a lot about 10 blocks away at UALR's lot 14. Little Rock police did not allow parking in the adjacent neighborhood.
This is a nostalgia packed evening for me. I grew up 3 blocks from the park at 18th and Fair Park. I was the official scorer for legion games here starting at age 13, and played legion ball here (when it was Curran Conway Field). I never could imagine seeing these two teams here.
DeBryin said he was excited to see the game played. He recalled scouting players at the old Curren Conway, including former Razorback Gerald Hannahs and others signed to play at Fayetteville but taking the pro route like Harlin Highfill.
Arkansas did not bring two of its regulars. Heston Kjerstad (the flu) and Jordan McFarland (mono) stayed home.