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Arkansas Breaks Through Late In Friday Night Duel Against Florida

Hagen Smith's longest outing of the year powers Arkansas to another series-opening win

Daniel Shi

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Hagen Smith throws a pitch against the Florida Gators in a game Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Hagen Smith throws a pitch against the Florida Gators in a game Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas took down the Florida Gators in a low scoring affair, 2-1, behind seven strong innings from Hagen Smith.

"Both teams really pitched well," coach Dave Van Horn said. "There weren’t a lot of walks, and some really good pitches made, located. A lot of velocity. … [Watching] from the side, both teams, I mean, it was just a well-played game."

Locked in a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth and held to just two hits across the first seven innings, Arkansas scratched across the game-winning run with small ball. Ty Wilmsmeyer started the rally with a one-out walk. Peyton Stovall followed with a single to right-center that allowed Wilmsmeyer to get to third. Jared Sprague-Lott drove in the winning run with a sac fly to right on a medium-depth fly ball to right, allowing Wilmsmeyer to show off his speed to score the winning run.

Neither offense had much through three innings. Smith and Florida starter Pierce Coppola combined to strike out 11 of the first 21 batters faced. Smith struck out Brody Donay for the 302nd strikeout of his career, passing Matt Carnes for second in Razorback History.

Ryder Helfrick opened the scoring with a 387-foot solo homer on a 2-0 fastball to left-center in the bottom of the second. Three of Helfrick's eight hits this season have been solo homers.

Smith began to mow down hitters after allowing two of the first three hitters to reach, retiring 17 straight and pitching into the seventh inning for the first time in over two years. Smith retired potential No. 1 MLB two-way star Jac Caglianone both times despite hard contact. Caglianone pounded a ground ball 115 miles off the bat for a grounder to the right side of the infield for the hardest hit ball at Baum-Walker this year.

"He’s probably one of the best hitters in the country," Smith said about Caglianone. "If not, the best. It’s always fun facing guys like that. Just trying to throw your best stuff against them."

Colby Shelton's leadoff walk in the top of the seventh was Florida's first baserunner since the first inning. A double down the left field line with one out off the bat of Luke Heyman put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Sprague-Lott charged a weak grounder on the barehand and fired home to cut down Shelton as the tying run on a 5-2 fielder's choice.

"[I} knew he [Shelton] was going on contact," Sprague-Lott said. "As soon as the ball hit the dirt, I wanted to make a play on it. That was kind of the only play I had, I wanted to help Hagen out."

Smith looked to have gotten out of the inning, picking Cade Kurland off first, but in a rundown Ben McLaughlin chucked the ball across the diamond and it got away from Sprague-Lott at third, allowing the tying run to cross the plate.

Smith retired the side on the next pitch and earned a no-decision after seven innings without an earned run average dropping to 1.35 on the year and turning the ball over to Gabe Gaeckle. On 0-2 with a runner on first with two outs, Caglianone hit a fastball into center to put the go-ahead run 90 feet away. Gaeckle got a popup off the bat of Tyler Shelnut to strand the bases loaded in the top of the eighth.

Gaeckle retired the Gators in order in the top of the ninth to pick up his third win of the season.

Due to inclement weather Sunday, the two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday with game one scheduled for noon. The first game of the doubleheader will be broadcast on ESPN2 while the second game will be streamed on SEC Network+.

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Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI