Bats Come Alive for Razorbacks in 21-1 Win Against Grambling

Pitchers combine with hitters to run-rule Grambling in first midweek matchup

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —  Arkansas returned to Baum-Walker to demolish Grambling 21-1 in seven innings behind two grand slams.

"I just really liked the way we played today," coach Dave Van Horn said. 'Obviously, it’s not the pitching we’ve been seeing but you still have to hit it and you have to hit it hard. The wind’s blowing in. Our guys just came out with a little bit of an attitude it looked like to me.'

After a miserable weekend hitting with runners in scoring position, the Razorbacks wasted no time getting on the board. Will Edmunson walked to start the game, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and Kendall Diggs drove the run in with a double into the left field corner. 

Grambling paid the ultimate price for giving the Razorbacks an extra out, a grounder up the middle looked to be a potential double play, but second baseman Kyle Walker dropped the ball as the shortstop flipped the ball, allowing a second run to score.

The Hogs, having not hit a home run in five games, just needed its fourth-string catcher to hit a 421-foot homer 113 miles off the bat to right center with the bases loaded and blow the game wide open. All told, Arkansas sent 11 men to the plate and finished the first leading 7-0. 

Having thrown 42 pitches late into the Texas night against Oklahoma State Saturday, starter Colin Fisher threw just one inning before turning the ball over to Parker Coil.

Arkansas Razorbacks Peyton Holt dives head-first across the plate in a 21-1 win over the Grambling Tigers on Tuesday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark :: Gunnar Rathbun / Arkansas Communications

Wehiwa Aloy, after a 2-for-11 weekend in Arlington with seven strikeouts, led off a double down the left field line off a 58-mile-an-hour curveball. Jayson Jones promptly followed with a 400-foot homer to left-center off a 67-mile-an-hour pitch to stretch the lead to 9-0. Peyton Holt, Edmunson and Diggs strung three singles together to score the all-important 10th run for a potential run-rule victory. At the end of the third, the Hogs led 12-0.

"It is definitely tough," Jones said about hitting slower pitchers. "As we trust our hands and trust our approaches and in BP [batting practice], everybody was just backspinning balls the other way and just trying to let it get deep and hit it out of the catcher's mitt. Just let it fly, get your swings off, and let's get it going."

The pitching staff continued its sparkling start to the season, Coil pitched two scoreless innings. Cooper Dossett took over in the fourth and stuck out the side in his debut, setting down the 2-3-4 of the Grambling order with swinging strikeouts. 

The offense continued to roll through the gears as Arkansas continued to tack on runs, Both Ross Lovich and Jack Wagner made pinch-hit appearances and got on base. The team added two more runs and led 14-0 after four innings.

Sprague-Lott also rebounded in the field. After committing four errors over the weekend, starting two 5-4-3 inning-ending double plays to finish the second and the fifth. 

Three straight walks to start the fifth set the table for the second grand salami of the day. Jones hit his second home run of the day, a 425-foot homer, 108 miles an hour off the bat to bring his count to six runs batted in. It stretched the lead to 18-0. The Razorbacks sent another 11 batters to the plate and stretched the lead to 20-0.

The Razorbacks continue its 12-game homestand against Murray State 3 p.m. Friday. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.  

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