University of Arkansas left-hander Patrick Wicklander could not pitch the opening game at South Carolina this weekend because he would have been working on four days’ rest for the Thursday game.
On five days’ rest, Wicklander (2-1) was wicked Friday.
The junior from San Jose, Calif., throttled a potent South Carolina lineup, holding the home team to two hits through seven innings as the No. 1 Razorbacks posted a 5-1 win in the second game of a doubleheader at Founders Field.
“Patrick Wicklander, I mean he goes seven full innings, doesn’t walk a batter, strikes out five and just pitched ahead in the count all night and gave us a chance to kind of chip away and beat a good team and a good pitcher in the most important game of the series,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said.
Arkansas (32-7, 13-5 SEC) remained atop the SEC West by winning its 12th consecutive series dating to the end of the 2019 regular season. Arkansas is 9-3 on the road, including 7-2 against SEC opponents.
The Razorbacks delivered South Carolina (25-12, 11-7) its first home series loss of the year and its first series loss overall since falling at Vanderbilt on March 19-21.
The Gamecocks won Friday’s first game 6-2 behind a big sixth inning.
South Carolina Coach Mark Kingston said it was a “solid” day for his club.
“Obviously we went 1-1 against the No. 1 team in the country,” Kingston said. “The disappointment lies in the fact that we had the chance to take the series tonight and we didn’t.
“My message to the team was we’re getting close to where we want to be. That was the No. 1 team in America and we’re getting really close. We’ve got a few hurdles we still have to get over, but we’ve come a long way, no doubt about it.”
Wicklander and bullpen ace Kevin Kopps combined for the Razorbacks’ second two-hitter in the series. Kopps struck out all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth.
Kingston was asked why the Gamecocks had just one big inning in the entire series.
“You saw Kevin Kopps, right?” Kingston replied. “Kevin Kopps is one of the top closers in the country for a reason. His statistics are ridiculous and he has done this to everybody.
“We didn’t have an answer for that breaking ball. Guys came back to the dugout saying they just can’t see it. It was one of the harder ones they’ve seen.”
Van Horn said Wicklander was throwing all his pitches for strikes.
“He didn’t throw a lot of change-ups. He threw a lot of fastballs, worked them in and out, got ahead in the count, elevated some pitches 0-2, 1-2 and got some strikeouts there,” he said. “Got some fly balls. Got some first-pitch outs, and it allowed him to stay in the game and kept Kevin’s pitch count down.”
Kopps retired all 15 batters he faced against the Gamecocks, including 12 on strikeouts.
“All weekend he was amazing but tonight, we had a four-run lead when we brought him in the eighth and I even said something to Coach [Matt] Hobbs that maybe we get somebody out there that gets us three outs and then we’ll bring Kevin in in the ninth,” Van Horn said. “Coach Hobbs just looked at me and said, ‘Kevin’s fine.’ And I said, ‘OK.’ Good call by Coach Hobbs.”
Wicklander allowed 1 run on 2 hits and no walks while striking out 5 on 83 pitches. He got behind 2-0 on the first batter of the game then went 23 consecutive batters before getting to another 2-0 count.
Wicklander’s seven-inning outing was the longest of his career and the most lengthy for an Arkansas starter since Zebulon Vermillion pitched eight innings in a 9-1 win over Alabama on March 20.
The Razorbacks opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the third inning, initiated by the bottom of the order. Casey Opitz, Jacob Nesbit and Jalen Battles struck consecutive singles off 6-6 right-hander Will Sanders (6-2), the last scoring Opitz.
Battles’ RBI single to right field was Arkansas’ first hit with a runner in scoring position on the day after the Razorbacks went 0 for 9 in that department in Game 1.
Zack Gregory’s fielder’s choice ground ball scored Nesbit to make it 2-0.
Wicklander allowed a two-out home run to leadoff hitter Brady Allen in the bottom of the third, but it would be the Gamecocks’ final hit of the day. The only other hit off Wicklander came on David Mendham’s second-inning single.
Wicklander never faced more than four batters in an inning and retired 13 of the last 15 batters he faced, allowing just a pair of runners on hit by pitches.
The score remained 2-1 until the fifth inning. Gregory drew a one-out walk, and with two outs Sanders left a 1-2 slider over the plate and Wallace ripped it over the left-field wall for a two-run shot and a 4-1 lead. The freshman’s ninth home run of the season was the Razorbacks’ NCAA-best 74th of the year.
In the first game, the Razorbacks saw a 2-0 lead and a strong start from right-hander Peyton Pallete dissipate in a span of seven batters in the sixth inning.
Pallette induced a foul out to start the sixth before issuing a walk and allowing a single to Wes Clarke to end his outing at 84 pitches. The sophomore allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
“Peyton Pallette pitched really well, five-plus [innings],” Van Horn said. “You take away maybe one walk, two walks, I think the outcome might have been a little bit different.”
Caden Monke (5-1), the winner of Thursday’s 6-1 series opener, walked Mendham on four pitches to load the bases.
Vermillion, making his first appearance in two weeks, was greeted by Andrew Eyster’s RBI single. Josiah Sightler then drew a walk to force in a run to make it 2-2.
Arkansas nearly got out of the inning with the score still tied after Colin Burgess flied out to Wallace in right field. Mendham tagged on the play and first baseman Brady Slavens’ relay throw home was high and wide for the catcher Opitz, allowing Mendham to slide home safely.
Shortstop George Callil’s single brought home a fourth run in the inning.
Arkansas had built its 2-0 lead on Cullen Smith’s solo home run in the second inning, his sixth of the season, and a single run in the fifth when the Razorbacks had a chance to do more damage to starter Brannon Jordan.
After Battles singled, he ran just in front of second baseman Braylen Wimmer as Gregory’s ground ball arrived, leading to an error. Wallace walked with one out to load the bases, and Slavens’ sacrifice fly brought home Battles to make it 2-0. After Christian Franklin walked, right-hander Andrew Peters (4-1) came on to fan Robert Moore and escape the inning.
Peters pitched three hitless innings with three strikeouts, and South Carolina closer Brett Kerry worked the final four outs for his fourth save.