Hogs put Rebels on ropes with big early innings

Arkansas second baseman Jack Kenley (7) is congratulated at the plate Saturday, June 8, 2019, by shortstop Casey Martin, center fielder Dominic Fletcher and catcher Casey Opitz after hitting a 3-run home run during the first inning in the NCAA Super Regional game at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. Visit nwadg.com/photos to see more photographs from the game.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has made a habit of putting its opponents on the ropes early in games in the NCAA Tournament.

In the Razorbacks' regional opener against Central Connecticut State on May 31, they scratched two runs in the second inning against the overmatched Blue Devils and cruised to an 11-5 win. Two days later, in the regional final against TCU, Arkansas scored three times in the first inning on Horned Frogs starter Jared Janczak.

The Razorbacks ran away with a 6-0 win that night and advanced to super regionals.

And they wasted no time jumping on Rebels starter Will Ethridge on Saturday either, easing to within one game of a return trip to the College World Series with a convincing 11-2 win, pulling even in the season series with Ole Miss, 3-3.

After Isaiah Campbell gave up a first-inning home run to Rebels shortstop Grae Kessinger, Arkansas responded with six runs in the first two innings off Ethridge and essentially blew the game open.

Ethridge, who also took the loss in Arkansas' 5-3 win over Ole Miss in late March after allowing five runs on seven hits in five innings, said it simply wasn't his day and the Razorbacks took full advantage early on.

"They just swung it well," he said. "They hit each pitch that I had very well. I wasn’t able to locate my pitches very well."

Rebels coach Mike Bianco credited first baseman Trevor Ezell and shortstop Casey Martin for jump starting the offense. Ezell shot the eighth pitch of his at-bat the opposite way down the line in left for a leadoff double and Martin followed with a single to left.

Then, Bianco added, a little bit of good fortune came Arkansas' way with Dominic Fletcher and Jack Kenley up.

"A ball chops over (first baseman Cole) Zabowski’s head, then Kenley hits a fly ball that gets up in the wind and it blows out of there," he said. "All of a sudden it went from 1-0 to 4-1 in a hurry. Then, of course, the crowd gets into it."

Kenley's three-run shot traveled 368 feet and capped the Razorbacks' four-run first inning. It was his 13th home run of the season and pulled him within two of the team lead (Heston Kjerstad, Martin 15).

In the second inning, a bit of small ball led to the Razorbacks' next two runs. A Kessinger bobble allowed Christian Franklin to reach safely before Ezell doubled to the gap in right center, putting two in scoring position.

Martin then hit his first sacrifice fly of the season to plate Franklin and Goodheart grounded out to first to score Ezell. All of a sudden, it was a five-run game.

"After that offensively they just took over," Bianco said. "We fell behind, didn’t make some pitches early in the count. We pitched in (disadvantageous) counts with our pitchers. And some of the ones I saw on the board were just good pitches - pitches that they hit. I think they’ve made adjustments.

"I thought they really had a good approach offensively."

Campbell, who was terrific for the second consecutive weekend and went 8 1/3 innings only allowing two solo home runs in his final appearance at home, returned to the mound in the third with plenty of cushion, which allowed him to catch his breath, Dave Van Horn said.

"It’s huge getting run support," Campbell added. "When you get run support, all I have to do is just go out there and throw strikes, just keep attacking, keep getting hitters out.

"When you put six up in the first two innings, you have some margin for error, so you can give up a couple of runs and still feel comfortable with the lead."