FAYETTEVILLE — The day before Arkansas’ preseason baseball practice began, Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn gave an assessment of his team’s offensive potential.
“We’re going to have a deep lineup,” Van Horn said. “As an opposing pitcher, you’re going to have to fight us because we’re going to fight you to try and get your pitch count up and get in that bullpen.”
Arkansas’ pitchers learned that lesson Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium. A lineup of several projected starters took advantage of errors and free bases to put together a couple of big innings, and scored 21 runs total in six innings during the Razorbacks’ final weekend scrimmage of the preseason.
Peyton Stovall, Robert Moore, Brady Slavens and Dylan Leach all had multi-hit days for the team that scored 21 runs. Stovall, a freshman first baseman and leadoff hitter, was the day’s offensive star with a 4-for-6 performance that included 4 RBI and 3 runs scored.
All stats are unofficial.
“I definitely think this lineup has a lot of potential, 1 through 9,” Stovall said. “Honestly we have three or four other guys who could fit right in and not skip a beat. I think this lineup is very relentless. We’re very excited for this season and what’s to come.”
Stovall had the game’s most impressive at-bat with an 11-pitch battle against Heston Tole in the fifth inning. Stovall singled to score Leach on the seventh two-strike pitch.
It was one of four run-scoring hits for Stovall. The bottom four hitters in his lineup combined to go 7 for 18.
“We have Zack Gregory and Jalen Battles down there, and they can do a lot of potential at the bottom of the lineup,” Stovall said. “For most teams they would be hitting at the top of the lineup.”
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Stovall reached on an error by shortstop Drake Varnado to kick start a seven-run first inning against Brady Tygart, a freshman right hander. Tygart, who missed most of fall practice with an injury, allowed 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 hit batter.
The same lineup combined for nine runs — including six unearned — in the fifth inning against right handers Dylan Carter and Tole.
Second baseman Jude Putz and Carter committed errors within the first four at-bats of the inning. Carter, who also allowed 2 hits and 1 walk, did not record an out against 5 hitters.
Three of Carter’s five runs were earned. Tole allowed 4 unearned runs and 4 hits in 2/3 inning.
Cayden Wallace cleared the bases with a three-run home run against Tole. It was Wallace’s third homer in four open scrimmages this preseason.
Wallace, a sophomore third baseman, is a combined 7 for 10 with 5 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 6 RBI and 8 runs scored in the open scrimmages.
“Just getting on base for him and knowing he’s able to drive the ball out of the park, drive the ball in the gaps at will, it’s pretty impressive to say the least,” Stovall said. “You don’t want to steal and get yourself thrown out because you know you have a guy like Cayden Wallace hitting behind you.”
Austin Ledbetter and Gabe Starks also allowed multi-run innings against the lineup led by Stovall.
Ledbetter hit Moore in the ankle to lead off the fourth inning, and a pinch runner scored on Brady Slavens’ RBI double off the base of the right-center field wall in the next at-bat. Moore was allowed to return to the plate in the next at-bat and scored Slavens with an RBI single.
Starks walked Moore to lead off the sixth inning and Battles with one out. Both scored on a double by Leach, who went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI.
Starks struck out three in the inning, including Zack Gregory and Stovall looking.
Jaxon Wiggins was the scrimmage’s winning pitcher with a shaky 3 2/3-inning start. Wiggins allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and struck out 3. Wiggins also hit three batters.
Braydon Webb homered to the left-field bullpen in the first at-bat against Wiggins. Two more scored in the second inning against Wiggins on a wild pitch and an RBI hit by Chris Lanzilli.
Other notables from Sunday:
• Max Soliz and Varnado hit back-to-back home runs for the losing team against Miller Pleimann to lead off the fifth inning.
• Will McEntire pitched a perfect top of the sixth inning for the winning team and struck out Diggs and Michael Turner.
• Slavens made a jumping catch at the wall in right field to retire Turner to end the fourth inning.
• Slavens hit 2 doubles and finished 2 for 5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.
• Moore was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 RBI and 4 runs scored.
• Webb, Soliz and Lanzilli each had two hits for the losing team.
• Elijah Trest allowed two hits in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Trest replaced Tygart with two outs in the first inning.
• Zack Morris and Zebulon Vermillion each retired the only hitter they faced.
• Pitchers combined to hit six and walk six batters.
CORRECTION: One team unofficially scored 21 runs Sunday. A previous version listed a different amount.