HOUSTON — No. 5 Arkansas came close to pulling off a stunning comeback from eight runs down, but the tying run was left standing at second base in an 8-7 loss Saturday to Texas in the Shriners College Classic at Minute Maid Park.
The Razorbacks (7-2) faced an 8-0 deficit after two innings, but slowly chipped away at the Texas lead. Trailing 8-5 heading into the top of the ninth inning, the Razorbacks were inches away from tying the game on Matt Goodheart’s two-run double that hit the top of the wall in right-center. But that was as far as the rally would go as Texas reliever Andre Duplantier struck out Casey Opitz and Casey Martin to end the game.
“We came out of the gates just beating it up,” Texas Coach David Pierce said. “But Arkansas just kept tacking it on. But we just ended up playing good defense, and Andre came in to get the last outs.”
Texas (10-1) came out swinging in the bottom of the first as Austin Todd hit University of Arkansas starter Patrick Wicklander’s first pitch for a single to left. It was a sign of things to come.
Wicklander (2-1) looked like he’d escape the leadoff single when Texas left-fielder Eric Kennedy rolled a ground ball to Razorbacks’ second baseman Robert Moore. But Moore lost the ball on the exchange, and both Todd and Kennedy were safe. Zach Zubia roped an RBI single to score Todd, then on the throw home, a second Arkansas error allowed Kennedy to move to third. Kennedy later scored on a double play for a 2-0 lead.
Arkansas got a one-out double from Opitz off the center-field wall in the second, but Texas starter Ty Madden worked out of it with back-to-back strikeouts of Martin and Moore.
The Longhorns batted around in the second, opening the inning with three consecutive singles, the last an RBI rope through the box off the bat of Douglas Hodo for a 3-0 lead. Wicklander loaded the bases with no outs with a walk to nine-hole hitter Brenden Dixon, his final batter of the night.
Todd hit into a fielder’s choice, driving in Texas’ fourth run of the game, then Zubia followed with a towering home run to left-center off Marshall Denton that made it 7-0. The Hogs’ fourth error of the game allowed another run to score for an 8-0 Texas lead.
Jacob Nesbit led off the Arkansas third on a double to left. Nesbit advanced to third on a deep fly to right, but was left stranded.
Optiz doubled off the Crawford Boxes in left for Arkansas in the fourth for his second double of the game, but was left stranded when Martin popped out to first to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth, Moore led off with a walk. With two outs, Zack Gregory singled sharply to right and Moore, running on the 3-2 pitch, raced around to score, sliding under the tag at the plate for Arkansas’ first run.
Heston Kjerstad crushed a solo home run in the top of the sixth, his fifth of the season, to make it 8-2. After Optiz reached on a wild pitch after a swinging third strike, Moore capped a nine-pitch at-bat with a double to center, scoring Optiz from first to make it 8-3.
Arkansas reliever Caleb Bolden held Texas in check over 4 innings, retiring 12 of the 14 batters he faced with 5 strikeouts.
Madden (3-0) went 6 innings for Texas and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 7.
In the top of the seventh, Arkansas’ Cole Austin led off with a walk off Texas reliever Cole Quintanilla and came around to score on Christian Franklin’s RBI double to cut Texas’ lead to 8-4. Kjerstad followed with an RBI single to make it 8-5.
“I told them I was very proud of how they didn’t lay down and roll over,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “They came back and fought and showed what kind of team they are the last six innings. And that’s what I was looking for.”
The Razorbacks will look to bounce back today against Baylor at 7 p.m. The Bears rallied from a 4-0 deficit to knock off LSU on Saturday. Right-hander Kole Ramage (1-0, 2.84 ERA) will take the ball for Arkansas against Baylor’s Hayden Kettler (1-1, 4.50).