FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ bullpen nearly pitched a complete game Sunday to give the Razorbacks’ sixth-ranked baseball team a series victory over Alabama.
Relievers Cody Adcock, Dylan Carter and Gage Wood combined to pitch 8 1/3 innings as Arkansas defeated the Crimson Tide 5-4 at Baum-Walker Stadium. The bullpen allowed two runs.
The Razorbacks (23-5, 6-3 SEC) won final two games of the series after losing 12-1 in Friday’s opener.
Alabama (21-8, 3-6) lost its fourth consecutive series.
Catcher Parker Rowland’s RBI single in the sixth inning scored Harold Coll to give the Razorbacks a 5-4 lead. Arkansas missed on a chance for more runs when a third strike was administered to Tavian Josenberger for a clock violation, which eliminated a sacrifice fly opportunity.
Mac Guscette singled with one out and Ed Johnson walked with two outs against Carter in the eighth inning. That led to the pitching change to Wood, who got Alabama’s leading hitter, Drew Williamson, to fly out.
The Crimson Tide were 1 for 12 with runners on base. They stranded 10 base runners Sunday and 34 during the series.
Wood retired Alabama’s 3-4-5 hitters in eight pitches in the ninth inning to earn his first save.
The Crimson Tide chased Arkansas freshman right-hander Ben Bybee two outs into the first inning. Bybee issued 3 two-out walks and a two-run single to former Razorback catcher Dominic Tamez.
Adcock, who threw six pitches Saturday, stranded the bases loaded in the first when Guscette flied out to left field on his fourth pitch.
Arkansas tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the first. Josenberger, Peyton Stovall and Jared Wegner had three consecutive singles against Alabama starter Grayson Witt. Josenberger scored on Wegner’s single, and Stovall scored on a wild pitch.
Adcock did not allow a run until Jim Jarvis led off the fifth inning to put the Crimson Tide ahead 3-2. His 3 1/3-inning, 53-pitch appearance included 3 hits, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts.
Arkansas took its first lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the sixth on Wegner’s two-run home run. Wegner’s team-leading 12th homer went 412 feet to left field. He had 3 RBI to bring his season total to 43.
Alabama nine-hole hitter Tommy Siedl reached on a fielder’s choice in the sixth inning and scored to tie the game 4-4 after Carter threw two wild pitches.
That was the only run scored in 3 2/3 innings against Carter. The right-hander threw 63 pitches a day after a 30-pitch relief outing that lasted 2 1/3 innings.
Hitt, the Alabama left-hander, allowed 3 runs, 4 hits and 3 walks, and struck out 3 during his 80-pitch, 4-inning start.
Alabama right-hander Garrett McMillan, a former starter who is working his way back from a pre-season injury, allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Arkansas is scheduled to host Arkansas State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Razorbacks return to SEC play with a three-game series at Ole Miss that is scheduled to begin Thursday at 6:30 p.m.