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Razorbacks' Bats Ended Before Season in Loss to SEMO in Regional

Arkansas fails to get out of regional as host for the second straight year as scrambling pitching and failing hitting never let it be close

Daniel Shi

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn and Peyton Stovall in Sunday's game against Southeast Missouri.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn and Peyton Stovall in Sunday's game against Southeast Missouri. / Michael Morrison-allHOGS Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In its most important game of the season, the much-maligned Arkansas bats came up with perhaps their worst performance of the season. It was enough to sink the Razorbacks in the regional for the second straight season as the Southeast Missouri State took down the Hogs, 6-3. Arkansas managed just two hits for the first seven innings of the game.

"We swung it really well yesterday [and] left 13 out there," coach Dave Van Horn said. "Today, it looked like we were exhausted. I didn’t really know what to do or say. I think SEMO just did a tremendous job of pitching to us today. It’s been a battle, and I would say that’s probably, when you don't pitch good, you don’t have a chance."

The Razorbacks had trouble dealing with the looping breaking ball of Colin Wilma, who dropped eephus pitches in the mid-60s to keep the Hog hitters off balance the first time through the lineup with no hits and two strikeouts.

Southeast Missouri State opened the scoring with a first inning homer off the bat of Ty Stauss to give the Redhawks an early 1-0 lead.

Outside of the early homer, Hogs' starter Gage Wood looked to have settled in until trouble struck in the bottom of the fourth. Ben Palmer led off the frame with a double down the left-field line, Ty Stauss followed with a walk. A Josh Cameron RBI single to right meant the end of the like for Wood as Van Horn turned to Faherty.

Faherty didn't fare much better. Inheriting runners on second and third and still nobody out, he attempted to shovel a co, The first batter he faced, he induced a comebacker which he attempted to shovel home to cut the runner down without success. SEMO stretched its lead to 4-1. Ian Riley capped off the three-run inning with a two-strike, two-out double to make it 4-0.

Wilma did not allow a hit through the first four innings, facing just one over the minimum. However, the first hit for the Razorbacks was emphatic. With two outs in the fifth, Peyton Holt broke up the no-hitter with a 422-foot homer to left field.

With some help, the Razorbacks had its chance. Wilma plunked Ryder Helfrick on the first pitch, then walked Ty Wilmsmeyer. Peyton Stovall loaded the bases with another hit by pitch. SEMO coach Andy Sawyers went to Logan Katen to face Hudson White. After Katen fell behind 3-0, he came back with two called strikes to run the count full and got the Razorbacks' hottest hitter to ground out and retire the side.

The tying run never came to the plate after that as the Redhawks added two insurance runs off Will McEntire to stretch the lead to 6-1.

Parker Rowland hit a two-run home run in the ninth in his first at-bat of the weekend but did little to change the final result.

"I’m just grateful for these guys," Stovall said after the season ended. "I’ve been with them a lot. We’ve played a lot of games together. They’re awesome people and it doesn’t matter what happens in life, these guys on this team are going to be successful because we’re all just really good kids and that’s a testament to the staff and who they recruit. I just love these guys."

Sawyers, who played under Van Horn as a player at Nebraska in 1998, eliminated his former coach from the postseason play and advanced to his first regional final as a coach.

"I had some tears in my eyes behind the sunglasses because I got to beat my coach today," Sawyers said. "That doesn’t happen very often. That was a pretty cool moment."

SEMO will now take on Kansas State in the regional final needing to win two straight games to advance to the Super Regional.

HOGS FEED:

• Hometown hurler called upon to save Razorbacks season

• Frustrated Van Horn Still Keeping Positive Outlook Headed to Big Sunday

• Has Central Arkansas Pipeline Returned as Recruiting Strength for Hogs?

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Daniel Shi

DANIEL SHI

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