Lockhart follows Vermillion's lead, helps Arkansas take series

Arkansas pitcher Lael Lockhart throws during a game against Alabama on Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — As the old saying goes, baseball momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.

Arkansas ended a three-game losing streak in time to win its series over No. 24 Alabama thanks to strong starting pitching.

Zebulon Vermillion gave the Razorbacks an 8-inning gem Saturday, and Lael Lockhart tied a career high with 9 strikeouts and did not allow a run in 4 2/3 innings during Arkansas’ 3-1 victory over the Crimson Tide on Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium.

For the third consecutive start, Lockhart took a shutout to the fifth inning. He pitched five scoreless innings against Murray State two weeks ago, and allowed the game’s only runs in the fifth inning of a 2-0 loss at Louisiana Tech last week.

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“We have a lot of confidence in Lael right now,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “It’s like the experience he’s gained over the last four years is really coming out for us and we need it. With so many young pitchers we’re using right now, for him to come out and give us four or five quality innings on a Sunday — a lot of times teams are running short.

“I’m sure there’s going to be a series this year where we’ve had to use a lot of guys on Friday, Saturday, and hopefully he can continue to do this because it’s been big for our staff. It really gives us a lot of confidence to put him out there.”

While the rotation in front of him has changed multiple times this season, Lockhart has been an anchor for the Razorbacks in the weekend finale. In 5 starts he has a 2.13 ERA and has pitched 25 1/3 innings.

He has kept Arkansas in three low-scoring games, including the last two Sunday games, as well as a 4-1 victory over TCU on opening weekend.

“I’m pretty fired up when he goes out there because I know he’s going to get us off to a good start,” said reliever Kevin Kopps, who pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief Sunday. “He’s really consistent and when he gets us off to a good start, I feel confident. When he gets us back in the dugout, it gives our offense a chance to get rolling.”

Lockhart, who transferred to Arkansas and was previously the No. 1 starter at Houston, showed poise as the Crimson Tide put base runners on against him in every inning but the third. Alabama had the leadoff runner on three times against Lockhart.

Peyton Wilson struck out against him to lead off the game, but Wilson reached when the ball got away from catcher Casey Opitz. Zane Denton also walked with one out in the first inning.

Caden Rose reached with a one-out double against Lockhart in the second inning, and Drew Williamson walked to lead off the fourth.

He pitched through all of those jams while the game was scoreless. The Razorbacks didn’t give Lockhart the lead until Brady Slavens’ two-out solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning made it 1-0 in favor of Arkansas.

“He’s a veteran, been around. He knows how to pitch out of jams,” Van Horn said. “He doesn’t panic. He just did a good job. That’s what you’ve got to be able to do. The good pitchers, they can pitch with runners in scoring position. That’s what Lael does.”

Lockhart got out of the jams by not allowing the Crimson Tide to make much contact. His off-speed pitches were especially good Sunday, including a 73-76 mph breaking ball that appeared to give right-handed hitters a lot of trouble.

“Just a lot of good spin there and locating that fastball in and away,” Van Horn said. “Stayed out of the middle of the plate and was ahead in the count. I mean, I sound like a broken record, but that’s what you call pitching and that’s what he did.”

Van Horn took Lockhart out of the game in the fifth inning when he hit Jim Jarvis to lead off the inning and Andrew Pinckney followed with a two-out single to put runners on the corners.

Lockhart had only thrown 74 pitches at the time, but Arkansas had a full bullpen of pitchers, including its most effective reliever to date, Kopps.

Kopps, a right hander, struck out switch hitter Zane Denton to end the inning. Van Horn said he wanted to make Denton — who Arkansas recruited and offered — hit from the left side.

“Zane Denton is a really, really good hitter,” Van Horn said. “He’s really good from the right side.”

Kopps lowered his ERA to 1.38 in 13 innings. He also earned his fourth win this season.

“He knows what he wants to do in there and he’s not too worried about what hitter’s in the box,” Opitz said. “He wants to throw his stuff and his pitch, and that’s what’s going to get guys out. That was huge for him to come in and do what he did today.”

Freshman Jaxon Wiggins gave up a leadoff home run to Sam Praytor in the ninth, but struck out Jarvis and pinch hitter Will Patota to strand a runner at second base.

“Wiggins came out and it was awesome to kind of face a little adversity,” Opitz said. “That’s what he needs. It’s not so easy in the SEC. He bounced back phenomenally after that home run and showed a lot of maturity.”

In five appearances prior to Sunday, Wiggins had not allowed a hit or a home run. Opitz visited with Wiggins on the mound after he gave up a one-out walk to Rose — one of three at-bats in the inning that went to a 3-2 count.

“I just went out there and told him to be him, throw it hard, throw his best stuff and it’s going to get guys out,” Opitz said. “It’s going to get a ground ball, it’s going to get something. Don’t be scared to attack guys, and that’s what he did and that’s how he got out of it.”

One day after Vermillion and Zack Morris combined for a two-hitter, the Crimson Tide managed just three hits against Lockhart, Kopps and Wiggins. Alabama also struck out 15 times Sunday.

The final two games of the series were a stark contrast to Friday’s series opener when the Crimson Tide scored 15 earned runs and recorded 15 hits during a 16-1 victory.

“We know that we’re good and our stuff is good,” Kopps said. “I think it’s just a matter of getting the game off to a good start.”

With their recent outings, Vermillion and Lockhart seem to have secured two of the three starting roles for Arkansas on the weekend. The No. 1 job in the rotation is up for grabs as Peyton Pallette struggles with consistency.

Pallette, who was taken out during Alabama's 10-run second inning Friday, was warming up in the bullpen when Wiggins recorded the final out Sunday.

“We don’t know if we’re going to start him next weekend,” Van Horn said. “When you become a reliever, become a reliever. That’s what was going on there.”

Van Horn said Friday that Patrick Wicklander’s 5 1/3-inning performance that night put the veteran left hander and former weekend starter back into consideration for a spot in the rotation.