FAYETTEVILLE — Patrick Wicklander took the loss in Game 1 of Arkansas' Cardinal and White Series on Tuesday at Baum Stadium, but the freshman showed plenty of promise in his start that was cut short because of a pitch count.
Wicklander, a left-hander from San Jose, Calif., struck out 8 batters, allowed 1 hit and walked 2 in 3 2/3 innings. His Cardinal team lost 9-1 in the opener of the best-of-three series that will continue Thursday at 4 p.m.
Wicklander threw 70 pitches, 43 of which were strikes. The only run he allowed came in his final inning when Casey Opitz singled to score Jacob Nesbit, who had walked and advanced to second base on a fielding error.
"Games usually boil down to if you're going to make a play. He walked a batter and the left fielder didn't catch a ball," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "All of a sudden a few pitches later Opitz got a big hit up the middle and they finally broke through.
"He's one of our good young pitchers and he continues to get better. He's a guy that we feel can really help us right out of the chute as a freshman."
Wicklander's fastball was between 89-92 mph Tuesday, Van Horn said. He also threw a slider that was difficult for left-handers, and a changeup.
"He did a nice job of spotting the ball in and out (of the strike zone)," Van Horn said. "He'd throw a couple of fastballs away and then he'd get a hitter leaning out over the plate, and he'd bust them in. There were some backward Ks that from a coaching standpoint are frustrating, but you've got to give credit to the pitcher. He did a really good job of locating that fastball."
Among Wicklander's strikeout victims were Casey Martin and Heston Kjerstad, who each struck out twice batting at the top of the lineup for the White team. Martin struck out looking at a 3-2 fastball to lead off the first inning and swinging at a 3-2 slider to end the third.
"He's good," Martin said. "He's done it all fall. He's really competitive and he's not afraid to attack you with anything. He's just one of those tough young guys who is going to be a big part of what we're going to do here."
Wicklander, who originally committed to Dallas Baptist for now-Arkansas pitching coach Wes Johnson, had not pitched in either of the Razorbacks' exhibition games this month against Wichita State or Arkansas-Little Rock. Tuesday's outing was his first time to throw competitively in nearly a week.
"I was amped up and excited for today," Wicklander said.
The White team broke the game open with a three-run fifth inning against freshman right-hander Connor McCullough. Curtis Washington walked to lead off the inning and stole second. After Martin drew a five-pitch walk, Kjerstad doubled to score Washington and extend the lead to 3-0.
Martin and Kjerstad scored on Matt Goodheart's single to center field. Goodheart was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Goodheart finished 2-for-5 with 3 RBI while playing first base. The sophomore has also worked in the outfield, where he played last season at San Jacinto Junior College. He has split time this fall at first with junior Jordan McFarland, who did not scrimmage Tuesday because he has mononucleosis.
"Matt has been swinging the bat really well," Van Horn said. "He started against Wichita State and started against UALR. He brings a little speed to the lineup and a left-handed bat. Today, two of his hits were the other way and he hit them hard. Against Wichita State he hit one to right field, pull side. He uses the entire field when he hits and that's why he's swung the bat so well. He's done a good job for us this fall.
"With his bat he's going to be in the lineup somewhere, whether it's left field or (designated hitter) or first base. Competition is good. He fields the ball well, but he's got to get comfortable at that position (first base). He brings some versatility."
Caleb Bolden pitched 4 1/3 innings to earn the win for the White team. Bolden retired the first 12 batters he faced, but ran into command problems in the fifth when he walked three of four hitters. He ran the count to 3-2 against Tyler Isenberg and was replaced by Caden Monke, who threw a ball in his first pitch to walk home the Cardinal's only run.
Bolden, a sophomore right-hander, mainly pitched to contact. He had three strikeouts.
"He's started pitching better," Van Horn said. "He didn't have a good finish to last year and then the summer was just OK. The first couple of outings (this fall) weren't great for him, but we've seen him getting better and better, and hopefully he can get back to where he can help us like we thought he would. It has been so much better probably the last two-and-a-half or three weeks compared to where it was the first three weeks of fall ball."
Monke, a freshman left-hander, struck out three in 1 2/3 innings, and freshman right-hander Carter Sells had three strikeouts in two innings for the White team.
Freshman outfielder Christian Franklin and third baseman Bryson Lierle, a junior college transfer, had the only hits of the scrimmage for the Cardinal team. Franklin tried to leg out a double, but slipped going around first base and was thrown out by right fielder Elijah Trest at second.
The scrimmage was called after the eighth inning.