FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas catcher Michael Turner hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to give the sixth-ranked Razorbacks the lead for good in a 4-2 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday.
Turner turned on a 1-1 fastball from Lions relief pitcher Trey Harrington with one out in the inning. The line-drive blast to right field was measured 106 mph off the bat and bounced off the Hunt Center 351 feet away.
Cayden Wallace, who preceded Turner’s at-bat with a walk, also scored.
Arkansas (6-3) tied the series at one game apiece. The teams are scheduled to play the series finale in the second game of a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Freshman left hander Hagen Smith pitched a season-long seven innings and struck out nine to earn his second victory. Smith, who struggled in a 2 1/3-inning start against Stanford last week, did not allow a run until Preston Faulkner’s 2-run home run with 2 outs to tie the game 2-2 in the sixth inning.
Faulkner’s home run also scored Evan Keller, who walked to lead off the inning.
Arkansas took an early lead with a couple of two-out RBI hits. Turner’s third-inning double scored Zack Gregory to put the Razorbacks ahead 1-0, and Peyton Stovall singled home Chris Lanzilli in the fourth to extend Arkansas’ lead to 2-0.
Turner finished 2 for 3 with 3 RBI in his first game batting third behind Wallace in the Razorbacks’ batting order. Wallace reached base on two walks and was hit by a pitch.
Right hander Hayden Robb allowed 2 runs, 4 hits and 3 walks, and struck out 3 in a 5-inning start for Southeastern Louisiana (5-6). The Razorbacks had a base runner in five of six innings that Robb started. He was replaced by Harrington after allowing Jace Bohrofen’s leadoff single in the sixth inning.
Arkansas reliever Zebulon Vermillion worked around a leadoff walk to pinch hitter Champ Artigues in the eighth inning. Pinch runner Joe Delaney stole second base with no outs, but Keller struck out, Tyler Finke lined out to shortstop and Rhett Rosevear popped up to shortstop to strand the runner.
Three days after making his collegiate debut with a scoreless inning against Nebraska-Omaha, freshman right hander Brady Tygart allowed a one-out single to Bryce Grizzaffi in the ninth. Grizzaffi was erased when Christian Garcia grounded into a double play started by the third baseman Wallace.