FAYETTEVILLE — Kendall Diggs came through in the clutch again with another three-run home run for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Diggs launched a 413-foot shot just to the left of center field with one out in the eighth inning to give No. 8 University of Arkansas its first lead of the game en route to a 7-5 win over Army on Tuesday.
The announced crowd of 8,945 at Baum-Walker Stadium saw Diggs hit his seventh career home run, his fourth three-run shot and his third game-winner.
The sophomore had been 0 for 3 with a double play ground ball and a strikeout before crushing a fastball from Dom Trippi (0-1) over the wall.
“What Kendall’s done, he hasn’t taken his previous at-bats to the plate,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “He didn’t have the night he wanted to have … but they remember what you did last and that last one was beautiful.”
Arkansas (10-2) won its fifth consecutive game during its 18-game homestand. Army fell to 5-6.
Diggs’ line drive homer can on the first pitch from Trippi, who had struggled to locate pitches against left-handed batters.
“It’s never too late to have a good day,” Diggs said. “Coach says that all the time. … I know he [Trippi] was attacking with the fastball. That’s what I was on.”
Diggs’ home run came after Brady Slavens was hit by a pitch and Jace Bohrofen, who had homered earlier, laced an opposite-field single.
“The long ball kind of bit us late,” Army Coach Chris Tracz said. “That hit by pitch turned into a three-run inning there. Hats off to Arkansas, but I was proud of our guys for sure.”
Sophomore Dylan Carter (2-0) allowed 1 run on 3 hits on 44 pitches over the final 3 innings to notch the win.
Trailing 4-0 against Army starter Robbie Buecker in the sixth inning, the Razorbacks climbed back into contention when Jared Wegner deposited a curveball from hard-throwing left-hander Sean Dennehey 427 feet to left-center field. Wegner’s sixth home run came on a 1-2 count and scored Tavian Josenberger and Peyton Stovall, who had walked and singled with one out, to make it 4-3.
“I kind of froze on a breaking ball for that second strike and he went right back to it,” Wegner said. “I was able to put my best swing on it and drive it and cut the deficit to one.”
One out later, Bohrofen hit his third home run, also off Dennehy, to tie it.
Army fought back to take the lead in the seventh against Carter after Sam Ruta hit a one-out single to right field. Ruta hustled to third when Slavens could not glove Ross Friedrick’s hot bouncer at first base and it caromed into right field.
The Razorbacks almost escaped the inning unscathed but could not turn a double play on Kevin Dubrule’s ground ball. Caleb Cali fielded it and fired to second base for a force out, but Stovall’s relay short-hopped Slavens and caromed away, allowing Ruta to score.
Buecker, a 5-8 right-hander, kept the Hogs off balance largely with a slider, change-up and low fastballs.
Buecker induced three ground-ball double plays and came out after allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks and striking out 2 in 5 1/3 innings, dropping his ERA to 1.98.
“Their pitcher did a great job. He didn’t throw the ball in the middle of the plate,” Van Horn said. “He threw the ball 87 mph on both sides of the plate.”
Said Tracz, “He’s got a pretty good breaking ball. He mixed the change-up in there and I think he’s got enough fastball to get on you at times, and I just thought they didn’t get into a comfortable offensive rhythm for a while. We were going to ride it for as long as we could.”
Army out-hit the Razorbacks 12-8 with the upper third of its order doing a lot of damage.
First baseman Ross Friedrick went 4 for 5, including a two-run home run off freshman lefty Parker Coil in the first inning. Third baseman Sam Ruta was 3 for 4 with two runs scored, and designated hitter Justin Lehmann was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Wegner and Bohrofen had two hits each to lead the Razorbacks, who return to action Friday to start a three-game set with Louisiana Tech.