Alabama threw away a chance in Sunday’s eighth maybe to sweep Arkansas. Razorback relievers Mike Bolsinger and Stephen Richards ensured that chance would not resurface.

Thus with Sean Jones stealing third and continuing home with the tiebreaking run as Alabama catcher Kyle Moore’s throw sailed into left field, and Richards closing the ninth-inning door for Bolsinger, the winning middle man, the Razorbacks won, 5-4.

That closed a three-game SEC West series Alabama started with 11-7 and 11-6 victories Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Sunday’s success keeps Arkansas’ shaky SEC Tournament hopes alive. The Hogs, 28-20 overall, are 10-13 and a half game out of eighth in the 12-team, two-division league’s pecking order for the eight teams awarded SEC Tournament berths. Just six games remain in the SEC regular season.

“ That was a big win for us, ” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “ I’m sure there were a lot of teams across the league hoping we would get beat today and they could say, ‘ Bye-bye to Arkansas, ’ but we are still here. ”

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Arkansas is fourth in the West. Alabama, 28-22, drops to a second best West tie with Ole Miss at 12-12. LSU, 12-11-1, climbs to first.

Casey Coon laced a leadoff double in the Arkansas eighth off losing Alabama reliever Will Stroup, last Saturday’s winner. Jones pinch ran while Alabama closer Will Graham was brought in to face Tim Smalling. Hitting away, Smalling grounded sharply to third, stranding Jones at second.

Van Horn had Jones stealing as freshman center fielder Brett Eibner struck out swinging.

“ Obviously I was thinking about bunting Tim, but their pitcher is a strikeout guy and would put a lot of pressure on the freshman Eibner to make contact and obviously he didn’t, ” Van Horn said.

A sac bunt wasn’t going to help after Smalling’s out.

“ I’m thinking I’ve got to steal or do something, ” Van Horn said. “ I gave Sean a late steal sign and he got a great jump, and he (Eibner ) swung at a ball in the dirt. The catcher kind of rushed, panicked a little bit. When it left his hand, I knew it was going into left field. ”

He screamed to continue as Jones was sliding.

“ I couldn’t see that, ” Jones said of the throw sailing into left field. “ But I saw the third baseman jump up so I knew there was a chance the ball could get by. Once I slid and hit the base, I heard Coach Van Horn say, ‘ Go ! Go ahead and go ! ’ So I popped up as quick as I could and started running. ”

Relieving starter Cliff Springston in the fifth, Bolsinger, who had relieved during Friday’s loss, threw 3 2 / 3 hitless innings. He posted a huge curve ball looking strikeout of hot hitting No. 3 hitter Alex Avila with two out and runners on second and third in the sixth.

“ I did the exact same thing on Friday, ” Bolsinger said, “ I had him 0-2 and caught him looking at a curve. I caught him looking at it again. I felt really good, better than Friday, a lot more business like. ”

So down to business that Bolsinger “ probably will be in the rotation” in next weekend’s SEC series against South Carolina here, Van Horn said.

However after Brandon May flied out to start the Alabama ninth, Van Horn summoned Richards, the lefty relief ace left in the deck when Arkansas fell behind Friday and Saturday, to save it starting with left handed hitting Avila.

Richards wasn’t sharp, falling behind 3-0 on Avila, but he came back to get a flyout to center on 3-1. Kent Matthes, a persistent hammer on the Hogs’ hide all weekend, singled. Richards seemed to have Matt Bentley retired on a foul fly, but the wind took it away from third baseman Logan Forsythe.

No matter. Richards came back with a game-ending strikeout.

“ You just think, ‘ I’ll beat him on the next pitch. ’” Richards said. “ I just wanted to pick up Mike who threw a hell of a game today. ”

The Hogs needed a devil of a game with Alabama launching eight home runs this weekend. The Tide hit two Sunday off Springston. Ross Wilson solohomered in the first. Alex Kubal had a two-run blast in the fourth. Brandon May, two home runs Saturday, doubled home a run in the third.

Alabama starter Robert Phares lasted into the sixth and wasn’t scored upon after Arkansas tallied two in the first and two in the second.

Logan Forsythe singled home a run each inning. Coon singled home the other in the first. Chase Leavitt, singling and scoring in the first, doubled one home in the second after Ryan Cisterna reached on a throwing error and was bunted to second. Forsythe singled Leavitt home.

Arkansas hosts South Carolina at 6: 30 p. m., 2 p. m. and noon Friday, Saturday and Sunday.