|
SPONSORS ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Late-night fireworks: 10th-inning heroics lead Hogs to win, SEC West title Published: Saturday, May 19, 2007 PRINT E-MAIL With a mighty swat into right in the 10 th, Wayne Hrozek righted all of Arkansas’ wrongs and rescued the SEC championship that had seemed slip-sliding away from the Razorbacks Friday night. Down 3-1 to start the 10 th off Ole Miss reliever Cody Satterwhite, the Razorbacks were trailing 3-2 with runners at first and second when Hrozek ripped a two-run double over right fielder Justin Henry’s head for a 4-3 triumph, thrilling a once devastated 9, 812 at Baum Stadium who watched Arkansas win the West that seemed about to be lost after Ole Miss snapped a 1-1 tie with two in its 10 th. Even if Dave Van Horn’s Razorbacks (38-17 ) lose today’s 2 p. m. game to Ole Miss, their current 18-11 SEC mark assures they win the West with Ole Miss now 17-13 and Mississippi State 15-12 as the regular season ends today. “ We haven’t had a big hit in two weeks ! ” Van Horn said. “ Wayne did a great job. He got a fastball and he can really hit the fastball. He’s only 5-7, but he’s strong as an ox and he drove it over the right fielder’s head. We just had to stay strong. ”
Matt Willard, running for Brian Walker after a 10 thinning leadoff walk, had taken third and Jake Dugger second, on catcher Brent Basham’s errant pick-off throw at second that sailed into center. Willard scored on very short sacrifice fly by Ben Tschepikow. “ We just had to roll the dice, ” Van Horn said, “ and make something happen. ” Casey Coon was intentionally walked to load the bases for a possible double play when Hrozek’s hit won it all for reliever Dallas Keuchel. “ It felt good, ” Hrozek said. “ I knew it was going over his head when I hit it. It was a big adrenaline rush. It’s great to win the whole thing. ” He had struck out with runners on in the eighth. “ I had to do something to redeem myself, ” Hrozek said. With shortstop Tim Smalling’s one-out error on Zach Miller’s grounder, Fuller Smith’s RBI triple and bunted home by Brent Basham as the major factors, Ole Miss took the lead off reliever Chris Rhoads in the 10 th before Keuchel finished it. Arkansas starter Jess Todd and Ole Miss starter Lance Lynn both deserved to win the decision that went to neither. Todd threw a four-hitter with one run versus a careerhigh 12 strikeouts in nine complete innings before yielding to reliever Chris Rhoads to start the 10 th. Lynn held Arkansas to seven hits and a run and struck out eight through seven complete before yielding to reliever Justin Cryer to start the eighth. Despite losing two running the bases, Arkansas took a 1-0 lead in the first. Jake Dugger ripped a leadoff double. Waiting to be sure the ball went through, Dugger could only take third on Ben Tschepikow’s single through short. Dugger wasn’t as cautious on Logan Forsythe’s no-outs grounder to third against a drawn-in infield. He got gunned at the plate. Casey Coon singled to left, scoring Tschepikow. Tschepikow drew a throw home which enticed Forsythe to try for third. He was thrown out. Coon did steal second but was stranded when Brad Secrist struck out, the first of four straight Razorbacks whiffed by Lynn. Lynn struck out eight in seven complete innings after the Hogs fanned 15 times Thursday night against starter Will Kline (13 ) and Thursday winning reliever Cody Satterwhite. Satterwhite saved Friday’s victory in the 10 th for winning reliever Justin Cryer. Arkansas lost a runner at the plate in the third, with game but slow catcher Brian Walker nailed trying to score from third on a wild pitch. Walker also hit it into a devastating inning-ending bases-loaded double play in the seventh. Danny Hamblin smoked a one-out double. Jacob Julius singled, with second baseman Zach Miller’s great stop of the hit preventing Hamblin from scoring from second, and Tim Smalling was hit by a pitch several pitches after Stephen Robison, running for Julius, took second on a wild pitch while Hamblin held third. Todd re-engerized the deflated crowd by striking out the side in the Ole Miss eighth, but the Razorbacks wasted another golden opportunity in their eighth. Forsythe and Hrozek both looked at third strikes after Tschepikow led off with a walk and was sac-bunted to second by Dugger. Ole Miss had tied it 1-1 in the fifth. Zach Miller smoked a one-out double past third baseman Forsythe and took third on an infield out. No. 9 hole hitting catcher Alex Kliman bounced a hard-shot off third baseman Forsythe’s chest. Forsythe recovered and just missed throwing out Kliman as Miller scored for a 1-1 tie on the 2-out hit. A great catch of Zach Miller’s 2-out deep drive by Dugger before the Razorback center fielder hit the wall prevented Ole Miss’ Evan Button from scoring from second in the second. In the ninth, Todd rared back and struck out Logan Power for his career-high 12 th strikeout in an effort that would win a championship even if he didn’t get the win. Ole Miss 000 010 000 2 — 3 5 1 Arkansas 100 000 000 3 — 4 8 1 Lynn, Cryer (8 ), Satterwhite (10 ) and Kliman, Bashman (8 ); Todd, Rhoads (10 ), Keuchel (10 ) and Walker. W-Keuchel, 6-2. L-Satterwhite, 4-3. More Stories From: NATE ALLEN · Serving notice : Razorbacks drop Texas for second top-10 upset in a week · UA Men's Basketball Notebook : Washington earns second SEC honor · Hogs, Horns renew rivalry with fresh faces · Washington scores 34 in win over North Texas · Hogs head to Alltel Arena for showdown with Mean Green Yesterday's Most Popular 1. THE RECRUITING GUY : 3 UA recruits on display at all-star event 2. ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS VS. NO. 7 TEXAS LONGHORNS : 'A different animal'Pelphrey : Longhorns SEC-like 3. KNOCK ON WOOD : Hogs' new winning standard put to test tonight 4. LIKE IT IS : Texas' Barnes good at raising bar, eyebrows 5. Hogs, Horns renew rivalry with fresh faces Today's Most E-mailed 1. Serving notice : Razorbacks drop Texas for second top-10 upset in a week 2. ARKANSAS 67, NO. 7 TEXAS 61 : Another UA power play 3. LIKE IT IS : Ugly game a thing of beauty to Arkansas fans 4. Fortson, Washington bounce back from first-half blues to propel Hogs 5. In the Lane |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||



