FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas right hander Connor Noland pitched with a black eye and an edge Thursday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Noland tied a career high with 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to lead the seventh-ranked Razorbacks to a 12-4 victory over Illinois-Chicago in the first game of a doubleheader. The teams are scheduled to play the second of their four-game series Thursday at 3:45 p.m.
Noland, who had a hard-hit grounder strike underneath his right eye during a start last week, turned in his longest outing of the season. He threw 100 pitches before he was replaced by left hander Evan Taylor with two outs in the seventh.
Noland’s 11 strikeouts were his most since he struck out the same total in the same number of innings during the 2020 season opener against Eastern Illinois. Noland (2-1) has 31 strikeouts and 6 walks in 23 innings this season.
Arkansas (8-3) won its first series opener at home this season.
The Flames (4-6) scored all of their runs against Noland with two outs in the seventh inning. Cory Moore’s double scored two runs and Clay Conn followed with a double to score Moore.
Noland struck out six of the first nine hitters he faced and did not allow a base runner until the fourth inning. He pitched with the lead for almost his entire outing. Chris Lanzilli’s two-out RBI single scored Cayden Wallace in the first inning to put the Razorbacks ahead 1-0.
UIC starter Nate Peterson shut down the Razorbacks for a while after Lanzilli’s hit. Peterson, a left hander, retired 13 consecutive hitters before Zack Gregory walked to lead off the sixth inning.
Arkansas put its first four hitters on base and scored six runs in the sixth. Wallace singled and Robert Moore was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Michael Turner followed with a two-run single.
Brady Slavens also doubled home two runs and Jalen Battles hit a two-run home run to give Arkansas a 7-0 lead in the sixth. Battles’ homer came two pitches after UIC catcher Cole Conn dropped a popup with backspin in foul ground.
The Razorbacks scored 6 runs (5 earned) against Peterson, who allowed 5 hits and struck out 6 in 5 1/3 innings.
Arkansas added five runs over the seventh and eighth innings. The Razorbacks scored four in the eighth on a solo home run by Slavens to lead off the inning and a three-run home run by Wallace.
Batting leadoff for the first time in his career, the sophomore Wallace was 3 for 5 with 3 runs and 3 RBI. Turner and Slavens also had 3 RBI apiece.
Turner raised his team-best batting average to .361 with a 2-for-4 performance. His 13 RBI also lead the team.
Arkansas out-hit UIC 13-4. The Flames drew three walks against Taylor and Jake Faherty in the ninth, and forced home a run when Clay Conn was hit by a Faherty pitch.
Miller Pleimann retired the Flames’ final two hitters, including one by strikeout. Arkansas pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts, one shy of a season high set against Indiana.