Dave Van Horn knew it would be tougher for his Razorbacks Wednesday against Centenary and ace lefthander Dakota Robinson than when Arkansas beat Centenary, 9-0, the previous evening at Baum Stadium.

However a 5-1 loss before 2, 115 at Baum Stadium was more than Van Horn bargained for even with the Gents now 14-5 and a strong contender in the usually Oral Roberts University dominated Summit League.

Arkansas (15-8, 2-4 SEC ) visits Vanderbilt for a three-game SEC series Friday through Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

The Gents made it appear no fluke beating Arkansas for the first time in 43 years and 26 nonconference meetings since splitting a doubleheader on April 10, 1965 at the old Fairgrounds Park in Fayetteville.

" They outplayed us, " Van Horn said. " They outpitched us and we didn't hit. " With no Summit League series this weekend, Centenary coach Ed McMann threw Robinson for four 2-hit scoreless innings, followed for three innings by winning righthander Justin Kraft, 5-0, and two by righthander Brandon Whiting. Kraft gave up two hits and Arkansas'only run, a leadoff home run in the fifth by Andrew Darr, tying it 1-1 on behalf of Arkansas losing starter Sam Murphy.

Mu rphy got tagged for three in the sixth, his troubles started by Ricky Imperiali's double off an 0-2 pitch.

Other than a ninthinning walk and a balk, Whiting threw a perfect final two frames.

" They are a good team and threw No 1, No. 2 and their closer at us, " Van Horn said. " Threw a kid that was 4-1 and only lost to Texas A & M, 3-2. The other kid who came in was 4-0, and the kid who finished the game doesn't have an ERA. But that's no excuse. It should have been 1-1 going late into the game. "

Maybe even 1-0, Arkansas given the Gents' first inning run was unearned. Murphy's errant pickoff throw after Jamar Tabor's game-opening walk was so wild to advance Tabor to third. He scored on Steele Lewis'1-out grounder to short.

" He [Murphy ] was a little nervous in that first inning, " Van Horn said. " He walks the leadoff man and throws the ball away, and we end up giving up a run without hit. Other than that and the 0-2 pitch I thought Sam Murphy did a heck of a job. "

Murphy went 5 1 / 3 innings and struck out four. The three sixth-inning runs were earned. Imperiali earned his double even Murphy's 0-2 curve made it too easy.

" They get that 3-run inning when we get a quick out and a chance to strike a guy out and he doubles off an 0-2 curve ball down the middle, " Van Horn said. " That curveball is supposed to be in the dirt. You don't throw an 0-2 double. "

Arkansas shortstop Scott Lyons prevented Imperiali from scoring by knocking down Steele Lewis' single before it could go through the middle. However, Imperiali trotted home from third on Cameron Penney's RBI single. Reliever Brett Eibner, moving from center field, was pitching when Murphy's final two baserunners scored via a wild pitch and Teddy Saenz's sacrifice fly. Saenz touched Eibner for an RBI single in the eighth, the third of three straight Centenary singles. Baserunning snafus snuffed two potential Arkansas rallies. Casey Coon, with no chance after his first-inning single to avoid being doubled off by Andy Wilkins'line drive out to the second baseman, singled again in the second with two outs after Eibner had been hit by a pitch. Coon's single caromed off Robinson into short right but was retrieved by second baseman Tim Deering. Instead of throwing too late trying to get Eibner at third, Deering saw Coon rounding first too wide and gunned him for an inningending out.

In the fifth, right after Darr hit his second home run in two days against Centenary, Ben Tschepikow walked, was sac- bunted to second by Scott Lyons then nailed trying for third when Kraft's pitch in the dirt didn't stray as far from catcher Alex Maldonado as Tschepikow believed it would.

" Ben, " Van Horn said, " that was a hustling mistake. But he shouldn't have gone. We get a sac bunt, to get him in scoring position. So it has to be an easy read because we gave up an out to get you there. Casey's mistake - what do you say ? The kid is 22 years old and has been playing the game. I've seen it too many times. Just kind of getting tired of it. "

Closing Wednesday's book and regrouping for the SEC road, Van Horn said, " We didn't hit. They outpitched us and now we've got to get ready to play Vanderbilt. "