Razorbacks eliminated by Florida at SEC Tournament

Florida's Jud Fabian celebrates a home run during an SEC Tournament game against Arkansas on Friday, May 27, 2022, in Hoover, Ala.

Arkansas’ long stay in Hoover, Ala., ended Friday without a victory at the SEC Tournament. 

The Razorbacks lost 7-5 to Florida at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in an elimination baseball game that was delayed by a day due to rain. 

Arkansas (38-18) finished 0-2 at the tournament, which included a 4-3 loss to Alabama on Wednesday. The Razorbacks have lost four consecutive games and finished the month of May with a 5-8 record, a stretch of play that is projected to cost them an opportunity to host a regional during next week’s NCAA Tournament. 

Regional sites will be announced Sunday and the full NCAA bracket will be unveiled Monday. 

Arkansas’ team spent seven days in Hoover, where it arrived last Saturday following a series loss to Alabama in nearby Tuscaloosa. The Razorbacks finished their trip to the state with a 1-4 record. 

Florida (37-21) held off a late Arkansas rally that included three runs with two outs in the ninth inning. Jalen Battles led off the ninth with a walk and scored on a two-out wild pitch by Ryan Slater. Zack Gregory also walked with two outs and scored on a two-run home run by Braydon Webb. 

The game ended when Cayden Wallace grounded out to second base. 

Florida scored five runs against Arkansas starter Connor Noland. Jac Caglianone hit a two-run single against Noland to put the Gators ahead 2-0 in the second inning, and Caglianone led off the fifth with a solo home run to give Florida a 3-0 lead. 

Nine-hole hitter Colby Halter also homered against Noland with two outs in the fifth. The Gators went ahead 5-0 when BT Riopelle singled against reliever Evan Taylor to score Wyatt Langford, who walked on Noland’s final pitch. 

Noland, who pitched into the sixth inning in 9 of 10 starts during one stretch this year, has not pitched past the fifth inning in his last four outings. He allowed 5 runs, 6 hits and 1 walk, and struck out 5 during his 4 2/3-inning start Friday. He threw 47 of 73 pitches for strikes. 

Wallace and Michael Turner hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the sixth inning to pull Arkansas within 5-2. All of Razorbacks’ runs in Hoover were scored via home runs with the exception of Battles’ run on the wild pitch.

Jud Fabian led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run against Brady Tygart, a typical closer for the Razorbacks. Tygart allowed two more base runners before he was taken out of the game. A team spokesman said Tygart was feeling sick and was not injured.

Two runs were charged to Tygart, who recorded one out in 15 pitches. The Gators took a 7-2 lead on Halter’s one-out single against reliever Zebulon Vermillion. 

Halter and Caglianone each had two hits and combined to account for 5 RBI. The Gators out-hit the Razorbacks 10-6.

Arkansas used six starters during the game, including weekend starters Hagen Smith and Jaxon Wiggins who each threw one scoreless inning in relief. 

Florida right-handed starter Nick Pogue allowed the home runs  in the sixth after he held Arkansas scoreless for the first five innings. The Razorbacks had 4 hits, walked 2 times and struck out 8 times against Pogue, who threw 87 pitches. 

Blake Purnell pitched a scoreless inning in relief before Slater recorded a three-inning save. Slater did not allow a base runner until he walked two and gave up Webb’s home run in the ninth.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn returned to the dugout after he missed Wednesday’s game with food poisoning. Van Horn said before the game that he had been hospitalized earlier in the week.

Florida is 3-1 against Arkansas this season. The Razorbacks defeated the Gators 8-1 on April 7 behind a 7-inning, 1-hit start by Noland. Florida won games the following two days by scores of 7-2 and 9-7.

Arkansas was winless in Hoover for the first time since 2012. As the No. 3 seed, the Razorbacks are the highest seed to be eliminated at the tournament this week. 

Arkansas was last year's tournament champion.