FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas hit four home runs and got a strong relief appearance from Connor Noland in his season debut to defeat Southeast Missouri State 7-3 at Baum-Walker Stadium on Friday.
The No. 8 Razorbacks scored all of their seven runs on home runs. Robert Moore hit a two-run home run in the third inning, Cayden Wallace and Charlie Welch hit two-run homers in the sixth, and Christian Franklin hit his second home run in two days in the eighth inning to cap the scoring.
Arkansas (5-0) has won the first two games in the four-game series against the Redhawks (2-3). The teams are scheduled to play again Saturday at 11 a.m. in a game moved ahead four hours because of rain in the forecast.
Noland pitched 4 2/3 innings to earn the win for the Razorbacks. The third-year sophomore allowed 1 run on 2 hits, and struck out 5 batters.
Noland entered the game in the fourth inning and pitched through the end of the eighth. He inherited two base runners in the fourth inning and stranded them in scoring position.
SEMO scored its only run against Noland in the seventh inning when Tyler Wilber singled with two outs to score Peyton Leeper to pull the Redhawks within 6-3.
Arkansas starter Zebulon Vermillion allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 4 walks in 3 innings. SEMO took a 2-0 lead in the third when Andrew Keck singled against Vermillion and Lincoln Andrews followed with an RBI groundout.
Moore’s home run followed a two-out single by freshman catcher Dylan Leach in the bottom of the inning and tied the game 2-2.
Arkansas took a 4-2 lead on Wallace’s two-out homer in the sixth that also scored Moore, who led off with a single. Slavens tripled on the pitch following Wallace’s home run, and Welch homered on a 2-1 pitch in the next at-bat to push the Razorbacks’ lead to 6-2.
SEMO starter Noah Niznik allowed Arkansas’ first three home runs. Niznik took the loss with a 5 2/3-inning start. He allowed 6 runs on 6 hits and struck out 6 batters.
Kevin Kopps allowed a hit and struck out two in the ninth inning.
EARLIER
Arkansas 7 SEMO 3 FINAL
Kopps gets the first batter to strikeout looking on an offspeed pitch.
Stauss singles just beyond the reach of Jacob Nesbit at third to give the Redhawks a runner.
The next batter grounds to Nesbit. He can't field it cleanly to turn two, but he does get the batter out at first for the second out.
Kopps gets Leeper to strikeout swinging to end the game. Impressive showing from Noland and the Arkansas offense tonight.
Tomorrow's game has been moved to 11 a.m. due to some potential weather tomorrow afternoon.
Arkansas 7 SEMO 3 End 8th
After hitting the first pitch he saw off his leg, Christian Franklin goes opposite field for a home run into the SEMO bullpen beyond right field.
Smith follows with a single between first base and second base and that prompts a mound visit from SEMO. Ralls will stay in the game.
Ralls gets Wallace and Slavens to pop out, but then hits Welch to give the Razorbacks runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. Ralls' night is done and SEMO brings in Joseph Karall.
The right-handed Karall hits Webb to load the bases for Jalen Battles.
Battles hits it hard, but right at the center fielder to end the inning.
Noland's night is done and Kevin Kopps will come in to close this game out for the Razorbacks.
Noland - 4.2IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 5K, 55 pitches
Arkansas 6 SEMO 3 Middle 8th
I've said it once already, but I think it's worth repeating, Connor Noland is dealing today. Noland retires SEMO in order on two groundouts and a strikeout. The second out of the inning, an Andrews ground ball, looked like a hit up the middle but Robert Moore dove to his right and threw a strike to first while falling down to get the out. No doubt a web gem, and could possibly be seen on a certain sports program's top 10 plays tonight.
Arkansas 6 SEMO 3 End 7th
Nothing doing for the Hogs in the 7th. They go in order after two groundouts by Battles and Leach. Then Moore strikes out looking on a 2-2 count to end the inning.
Arkansas 6 SEMO 3 Middle 7th
Noland was cruising through the 7th with two groundouts before a single, a steal and a passed ball put the runner on third. Then a slow roller to third baseman Cullen Smith scored the runner from third. The batter was initially called out at first, but upon review the call was overturned and the Redhawks get a run back. Smith came in and barehanded the ball, but the runner just beat the throw.
Arkansas 6 SEMO 2 End 6th
Cayden Wallace hits a high, towering fly ball to left field that just kept carrying until it found its way into the Razorback bullpen and gave the Hogs the lead. Robert Moore led off the inning with a perfect bunt, right between the pitcher and first baseman. Franklin grounded out and Smith struckout before Wallace hit his first homerun of the year.
Slavens followed Wallace's home run with a triple off the 400 sign in left-center field. Charlie Welch follows Slavens' triple with a home run that goes over the permanent seats behind the Razorbacks' bullpen. He got all of that one.
SEMO goes to the bullpen and brings in right-hander Hunter Ralls.
Ralls gets Webb to pop up to first, but the Hogs get four in the 6th to take the lead for the first time in the game.
Arkansas 2 SEMO 2 Middle 6th
Connor Noland is dealing right now. He struck out the first batter he faced on a curveball in the dirt. Then he picked up a slow roller on the first base line and give a firm shove to the runner for the second out. Noland was in the baseline to field the ball and the runner ran into him, but Noland didn't budge while the runner basically bounced off Noland toward the SEMO dugout. The next batter grounded out to first to end the inning.
Arkansas 2 SEMO 2 End 5th
Braydon Webb gets hit by a pitch with one out, but the Hogs can't get anything else going. Welch flied out to begin the inning, Battles flied out to center and Leach flied out to left to end the inning.
Arkansas 2 SEMO 2 Middle 5th
Noland gets through SEMO's 2-3-4 hitters with ease striking out the side. Noland's breaking ball is biting hard today, and he's hitting 90-92 mph with the fastball to get SEMO off balance. Impressive outing so far from the junior.
Arkansas 2 SEMO 2 End 4th
Arkansas goes in order in the 4th. Two long flyouts to center by Smith and Wallace and a groundout by Slavens end the inning. Niznik gets out of the inning by throwing just 6 pitches. He's thrown 48 so far today.
Arkansas 2 SEMO 2 Middle 4th
Jalen Battles is so smooth in the field. He charged a ball and without missing a step through a line drive over to first to get out number one. I've been very impressed with his fielding prowess so far this season.
A one-out walks gives the Redhawks a runner. Gray bounces a ball in front of the plate and Leach can't handle it. The runner advances to second on the wild pitch. Another wild pitch moves the runner up to third and the batter walks. Runners on the corners with one out for the Hogs.
Gray's day is done. Connor Noland is on to make his 2021 debut.
Gray - 0.1IP, 0H, 0R (Both runners are his responsibility) 2BB, 0K, 16 pitches
SEMO sends the runner on first, but the batter lines the ball right at first baseman Brady Slavens. Slavens catches it in the air and steps on first to complete the double play. Not conventional, but exactly what the doctor ordered for the Razorbacks to get out of the inning without allowing a run.
Noland came in throwing strikes with the breaking ball. We'll have to see how SEMO adjusts throughout the rest of the game.
Arkansas 2 SEMO 2 End 3rd
Braydon Webb leads off the inning with a slow roller to third, and the third basemen gets him by a step.
Jalen Battles strikes out swinging for out number two and Dave Van Horn has some words for home plate umpire Michael Mazzarisi. Obviously I have no idea what Van Horn is saying, but his hand motions indicated that he thought the called third strike was low.
Dylan Leach gets a two out single on a line drive over the shortstops head. That was his first collegiate at-bat, and he did not miss that pitch.
Robert Moore steps up and smokes one over the fence in left field to tie the game at two. Moore jumped on a 1-0 pitch and recorded his first homerun of the season. He must have been mad about just missing that walk off yesterday.
Franklin strikes out to end the inning.
Vermillion's day is done and Evan Taylor is in to pitch the 4th
Vermillion - 3.0IP, 2H, 2R, 2 ER, 4BB, 1K, 61 pitches
SEMO 2 Arkansas 0 Middle 3rd
Vermillion finds himself in some trouble in the top of the 3rd. He walked the leadoff batter and the next batter Wilber singled to center to give the Redhawks two aboard with no outs.
With both runners stealing, a single up the middle scores one run and puts runners at first and third. Keck, the runner on 1st steals and Leach spikes the throw into the ground between the pitcher's mound and 2nd base. A slow roller back to the pitcher scores the runner from third. Vermillion flipped to first to get out number two. A line drive is caught in left field to end the inning, but SEMO strikes first for the second time this series and has a 2-0 lead.
Arkansas 0 SEMO 0 End 2nd
A strikeout swinging, a strikeout looking and a flyout to center end the inning. Designated hitter Charlie Welch made his first appearance as a Razorback and flied out to center.
Arkansas 0 SEMO 0 Middle 2nd
Vermillion walks another batter, his 3rd of the game, but that's all in the 2nd. He shared the wealth in that inning getting groundouts to second, short and third. He's sitting low 90s right now. The Redhawks haven't really squared up a ball against Vermillion yet.
Arkansas 0 SEMO 0 End 1st
Arkansas goes in order in the 1st. Moore hit a slow grounder to second, and Franklin hit one on the nose but it hung up and the center fielder tracked it down. Smith struck out looking and walked off the field shaking his head. He obviously disagreed with the call, and it was close. It was a breaking ball that looked low, but was called strike three.
Arkansas 0 SEMO 0 Middle 1st
After getting behind early Vermillion gets the first batter to fly out and the next to ground out. He throws four-straight balls to Blazevic to give the Redhawks a runner. Vermillion works a full count before walking the next batter. After a mound visit from Matt Hobbs, Vermillion gets Andrews to strikeout to end the inning.
Dylan Leach is making his first start behind the plate for the Hogs this season. Leach is a freshman from Carthage, Texas. He did this year what Robert Moore did last year and skipped his senior season to enroll early. He tried to throw behind the runner at first base, but skipped it to first baseman Brady Slavens. He also did a good job of holding on to the tipped strikeout that went into his glove to end the inning.
Lineups
SEMO
3B Peyton Leeper
SS Tyler Wilber
1B Austin Blazevic
C Andrew Keck
DH Lincoln Andrews
CF Danny Wright
RF Braxton Zivic
LF Ty Stauss
2B Connor Basler
P Noah Niznik
Arkansas
2B Robert Moore
CF Christian Franklin
3B Cullen Smith
RF Cayden Wallace
1B Brady Slavens
DH Charlie Welch
LF Braydon Webb
SS Jalen Battles
C Dylan Leach
P Zebulon Vermillion
Pregame
Arkansas' walk-off win yesterday was the teams' third this season when trailing in the eighth inning or later.
According to the National Weather Service current temperatures are hovering around 46 degrees with a wind chill of 42. Fog and mist will hang around for the rest of the afternoon as well so it will be cold one at Baum-Walker Stadium today.
Arkansas designated hitter Matt Goodheart has yet to play this year, but Van Horn said before the series that he is cleared to play this weekend against SEMO. Goodheart sat out the College Baseball Showdown due to some stomach issues.
Arkansas' starting pitcher for today will be Zebulon Vermillion. In his first start of the season against Texas Tech Vermillion pitched 4.0 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits. He walked 2 batters, struck out 4 more and has an
ERA of 4.50.