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Root Bounces Back with Complete Game; Hogs Stifle Gamecocks

Razorbacks run-rule South Carolina to get SEC home slate off to a good note on another big game with the bats

Daniel Shi

Arkansas Razorbacks Logan Maxwell comes to the plate after hitting a home run against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks Logan Maxwell comes to the plate after hitting a home run against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas used lefty Zach Root's first career complete game to beat South Carolina 12-2 in seven innings Friday to win its fifth straight and third in SEC play.

Root bounced back from allowing seven earned runs against Ole Miss last week, tied for the most in his career, to pitch a complete game, allowing just two runs. It's the longest start for any Razorback pitcher this season.

"You got to wait a whole week to your next outing," Root said. "Just had to go out there and prove that last week was a fluke and then got to go out there next week and prove that this wasn't just luck. I just got to keep stacking weeks and learn from Ole Miss and just keep moving forward."

He also added seven strikeouts to his ledger, bringing his season total to 46, nearly 20 more than anyone else on staff (Gabe Gaeckle, 27).

"[He had a] lot of good misses and just kept them off balance," coach Dave Van Horn said. "They [South Carolina] went up there and they were aggressive early. They swung at the first pitch of the game. Ball was hit decent to right field. You could tell that their plan was to attack and not let him get ahead of them. He countered by mixing his pitches.”

Arkansas' offense kept the pressure on throughout the game against the Gamecocks, putting a runner on base in every inning. The Hogs were 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position to South Carolina's 0-for-4.

"I thought it was pretty relentless," Van Horn said about the offense. "[We] just [were] fouling off pitch after pitch."

Justin Thomas Jr, making his first start since crashing into the wall against Ole Miss Sunday, opened the scoring with a RBI single to left.

The Razorbacks also took advantage of the opposing pitching staff's struggles to find the strike zone. Arkansas hitters drew four walks to South Carolina's one, including back-to-back bases loaded walks in the third.

South Carolina looked to have got out of the inning on a grounder to short, but a grounder got through the infield and allowed two more runs to score to open the game up.

Outfielder Charles Davalan continues his blistering run at the plate, finishing 4-for-5 with a double. In the last six games, Davalan is 18-for-30 (.600). His seventh-inning RBI single extended the lead to 9-2 and set the table for the coupe de grace.

Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy sent the SEC home opener crowd of 10,023 home early with a three-run walk-off homer for his 10th of the year. He's the first Hog to reach double-digits.

Game two of the series is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday and will be streamed on SEC+.

HOGS FEED:

• Kozeal hoping for full circle Omaha moment with Razorbacks

• Calipari pushes right buttons In Arkansas' NCAA Tournament win over Kansas

• Arkansas, Kansas put on show befitting higher seeds

• Rough Night for Calipari Haters as Hogs' Lean on Toughness, Grit

• Razorbacks Topple Kansas, Advance in NCAA Tournament

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Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI

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