Razorbacks rebound, top Missouri State on the road

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn (right) and Missouri State coach Keith Guttin (left) meet with umpires prior to a game Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in Fayetteville.

Arkansas 8, Missouri State 2 - Final

Matt Cronin needed only eight pitches to close the game. He got a fly out and a ground ball double play after Missouri State loaded the bases with no outs.

Arkansas improved to 21-4 overall and showed some grit after playing flat the first several innings. This reminded me a little of last year's game against Missouri State in Fayetteville, when the Razorbacks came from behind to win 11-7.

The Bears fell to 5-17 overall.

Arkansas out-hit Missouri State 10-7 and both teams had one error. The Bears stranded nine and the Razorbacks stranded eight.

Jack Kenley and Dominic Fletcher each had two hits for Arkansas, and Fletcher and Jacob Nesbit each had 2 RBI. The Razorbacks got a lot of good work tonight on the mound from the likes of Patrick Wicklander, Connor Noland, Kole Ramage, Kevin Kopps and Cronin. Arkansas recorded 10 strikeouts, walked three and hit two.

Up next for the No. 8 Razorbacks is a three-game set against No. 22 Ole Miss at Baum-Walker Stadium that begins Friday. We'll have more on this game coming up at WholeHogSports.com.

Arkansas 8, Missouri State 2 - Bottom 9th Inning

Elijah Trest's struggles continue. He has loaded the bases on an error, a single and a walk with no outs in the ninth, and Arkansas is having to bring in the closer, Matt Cronin, to try to finish this game. Cronin has not allowed a run all season.

Arkansas 8, Missouri State 2 - Middle 9th Inning

Arkansas has added its eighth run unanswered on Jack Kenley's two-out single to score Trevor Ezell, who was hit by a pitch. Kenley was stranded when Jacob Nesbit struck out.

Arkansas 7, Missouri State 2 - Top 9th Inning

Heston Kjerstad led off the ninth with a solo home run to right field - his fifth homer of the year. Kjerstad was 0-for-3 prior to the hit.

Arkansas 6, Missouri State 2 - End 8th Inning

Kevin Kopps worked around a one-out single in the eighth and the Razorbacks are ahead going to the final inning.

Jordan Fitzpatrick nearly hit a two-run homer in the inning, but his drive to right field was caught by Heston Kjerstad a couple of steps in front of the fence. Kopps struck out two.

Arkansas 6, Missouri State 2 - Top 7th Inning

The Razorbacks are breaking the game open. Dominic Fletcher had an RBI single and Matt Goodheart a two-run single with one out in the inning. Heston Kjerstad and Trevor Ezell reached on one-out walks after Casey Martin struck out to lead off the inning.

Arkansas 3, Missouri State 2 - End 6th Inning

Arkansas made changes on the mound and behind the plate in the bottom of the sixth. Kole Ramage worked around a one-out single and two-out walk, and struck out Jack Duffy to end the inning.

Both teams have stranded six. The Razorbacks will send the top of the order to the plate in the seventh.

Arkansas 3, Missouri State 2 - Middle 6th Inning

The Razorbacks have responded against two Missouri State relievers. Five straight Razorbacks reached base, starting with Dominic Fletcher on a bunt single that came on a 3-1 pitch.

Arkansas tied the game on a two-run single by Jacob Nesbit that extended his hit streak to 15 games, then took the lead on Trey Harris' pinch-hit RBI single.

Arkansas had runners on first and second with one out, and the top of the order on deck, but Christian Franklin hit into an inning-ending double play.

Missouri State 2, Arkansas 0 - Bottom 5th Inning

The Razorbacks are in increasing danger of suffering their worst loss of the season, at least from an RPI perspective. Missouri State (5-16) seems to have taken control the past couple of innings.

The Bears added a second run with two outs in the fifth when Zebulon Vermillion threw a wild pitch and Jack Duffy scored from third base. Duffy reached when he was hit in the foot by a pitch while trying to bunt, then advanced on a sac bunt and fly out.

Christian Franklin was stranded at second base in the top of the inning when Heston Kjerstad grounded out. Missouri State starter Ben Cruikshank has pitched way above his stat line and has allowed two hits and struck out five.

Missouri State 1, Arkansas 0 - End 4th Inning

The Bears didn't have a base runner coming into the inning, but put four on the bags in the fourth against Arkansas reliever Marshall Denton, who allowed three hits and hit a batter. Jordan Fitzpatrick's RBI single put the Bears ahead.

Ben Whetstone nearly put more on the board when he drove a 3-2 pitch by Zebulon Vermillion near the warning track in center field, but it was an out to strand three Bears.

Arkansas 0, Missouri State 0 - End 3rd Inning

Both teams went down in order in the third - the top of Arkansas' order and the bottom of Missouri State's order.

Connor Noland replaced Patrick Wicklander on the mound for Arkansas in a move that was a bit surprising. Noland hasn't pitched outside of the weekend all season, although he did not pitch long or well at Alabama last weekend.

Noland, true to form, pitched to contact and got all three outs that way. Wicklander finished the game by striking out five of the six batters he faced.

Arkansas 0, Missouri State 0 - End 2nd Inning

Patrick Wicklander struck out three more in his second perfect inning, and he has five strikeouts now.

Arkansas couldn't do anything with a Zack Plunkett two-out single in the top of the inning. Christian Franklin struck out to strand him at first base.

Arkansas 0, Missouri State 0 - End 1st Inning

Casey Martin led off with a single and Trevor Ezell had a one-out walk, but they were stranded on the corners when Matt Goodheart popped up to the shortstop to end the inning.

Patrick Wicklander was perfect in the bottom of the first for the Razorbacks. He was backed up by a great defensive play by third baseman Jacob Nesbit, then struck out two.

Pregame

Like in Fayetteville, it is a sunny, pleasant day in Springfield and should be a good night for baseball.

The pitching matchup tonight is between two freshman left handers - Arkansas' Patrick Wicklander and Missouri State's Ben Cruikshank. Wicklander has a much lower ERA (4.84) than Cruikshank (10.38), and he has thrown about 14 more innings.

The Razorbacks have mostly the same lineup as they have had most games this season. One notable lineup note tonight: Zack Plunkett will start in place of Casey Opitz at catcher.