All Hogs

Van Horn Claims Win No. 800 in Dramatic Fashion

Razorbacks struggle at the plate for much of the game, but hand Panthers first loss of 2023 season

Kent Smith

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorbacks came into the game against Eastern Illinois needing to change the line-up quite a bit because second baseman Peyton Stovall was unable to play. 

Stovall hurt his hand sliding back into second base against Grambling State in the mid-week game. Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said after the game that he thought Stovall's hand might heal up in time for the game, but there were still issues heading into game time. 

An x-ray came up negative, but Van Horn said they are waiting for an MRI that should be available later this evening. 

Despite the injury and adjustment, Arkansas was able to deliver Van Horn his 800th win as a coach.

How it unfolded

The Arkansa Razorbacks get set to host their first home weekend series on a cold day with a little bit of a wind blowing. 

And while it might be cold out there on the field, Dave Van Horn will be looking for his team to come out much hotter than it did in the mid-week game against Grambling. 

The Razorbacks trailed for nearly the entire game before coming back to tie it in the bottom of the seventh and finally take the lead in the bottom of the eighth to set the table for a Brady Tygart save.

What do we know about Eastern Illinois?

This is a team that won 33 games last season. They beat Illinois on the road and took a season-ending series against a dangerous Southeast Missouri State team. 

As of Thursday, the Panthers are of 36 undefeated teams left in college baseball after sweeping a tough series against Florida A&M. 

1st Inning

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Hagan Smith is on the mound for the Razorbacks.

Smith opens the game with a strikeout. He's throwing 95 consistently to start in this cold weather.

Ignoffo lifts a pitch low and outside to right field for the game's first base hit as he coasts in to first with a single. Smith then works a full count and ends up walking Gober.

With runners at first and second, Smith keeps coming hard with the fast balls. Rucker lifts a shot high and somewhat deep to center. Josenberger settles under it and has the catch. Most shocking on the play is that Ignoffo didn't go after the catch, so the Razorbacks have two outs.

Smith comes high and hard to Zalewski with a pitch he can catch up with and the Panthers are done in the inning after threatening to put the Hogs in an early hole.

1st Inning

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Van Horn shifts several players around on the field for today's game, and that reflected in the batting order.

Josenberger will get things started off at the plate, and he has really been strong in this role through the first four games of the season.

After facing four pitches that included a pair of foul balls, Josenberger hits a high bouncer to first and Worcester gets the unassisted out by stepping on the bag.

Diggs comes out swinging. He lifts a high hit to shallow right-center that looks like it might could drop, but it just got too far up in the air and that's the second out of the inning.

Malatestnic strikes out Wegner looking. He threw five pitches and only one wasn't a ball against the power hitter. This could be an interesting match-up.

Arkansas 0, Eastern Illinois 0

2nd Inning

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Lashure hits a bouncing grounder over to third and Slavens looks solid on his first action on the opposite corner this year. One away.

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Hagen Smith against Eastern Illinois on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
(Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Smith then gets his third strikeout of the game as he drops a pitch over the inside down in the dirt against Worcester and he's now sent four consecutive to the Panthers' bench.

Smith gets Taul looking and the Razorbacks head to the bottom of the second looking for their first hit. of the game.

Arkansas 0, Eastern Illinois 0

Mid-inning break

We ranked the Top 20 Razorback dunks so far this year. It definitely wasn't easy. Kill some time waiting for the Hogs to come up to bat by watching to see if your favorite made the list.

RANKING THE TOP 20 RAZORBACK DUNKS SO FAR THIS SEASON

2nd Inning

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These Panther outfielders are playing back near the warning track. That is going to create a lot of opportunity for these Razorback hitters on a heavy air day.

Slavens with a hard grounder to second and he's out rather easily.

Bohrofen with a shot to center. If the outfield is in a normal position this one would be a routine play, but with the depth, all Riley can do is watch it land in front of him for a single, which is the first hit of the game for Arkansas.

McLaughlin takes a weird, half-hearted swing that jams down into the ground for a high hopper to second that should be a double play. DiLuca misjudges it and it goes off the end of his glove. Bohrofen goes to third on the error and the Razorbacks are in business.

That brings Holt up with a chance to get Arkansas on the board early. It's another grounder to second. This time is stays down and DiLuca flips it for the double play and the Hogs are sent away still two hitters short of getting through the line-up.

Arkansas 0, Eastern Illinois 0

3rd Inning

(TOP)

Smith gets the lead-off to ground to deep short and that will bring up the lead-off hitter, Riley. Riley struck out swinging to start the game.

Riley grounds over to Slavens who comes up with a strong throw and he's looking really comfortable at third. Two away.

That brings up Ignoffo who got a hit in the first on a hit to right and he's going to go 2-2 against Smith. He rolls one out into left field and the Panthers look to get on the board with a two-out rally.

Ignoffo takes off for second on a pitch that is high and outside and the Razorbacks are lucky Polk was able to snow cone that one to keep it to only one base on the steal.

Gober works Smith to a full count. Here's a hard fast ball and Gober lifts it a mile into the sky. Holt settles under it and we're moving on to the bottom of the third.

Arkansas 0, Eastern Illinois 0

3rd Inning

(BOTTOM)

Polk comes up and immediately takes a fast ball off the top area of the back of his ribs. Bolton with a perfect bunt and it's just out of reach of the pitcher and on two pitches, the Razorbacks have runners on first and second. 

Now Josenberger drops a bunt down the third base line. It looks like it might have gone foul with a bit of patience, but Taul doesn't want to take the chance. He fires over to first and it's not even close.

The Razorbacks have loaded the bases on three pitches and that will bring Diggs to the plates and a few beer hats into position.

We have to take a break because Diggs swung around extra hard and hit the catcher in the head with the bat.

After wanting to put one out of the yard, Diggs finds his patience and settles in for a walk to bring in Polk and that brings up a very dangerous hitter in Wegner with the bases still loaded.

Full count pitch to Wegner. He keeps his head down and connects on a pitch on the inside part of plate at the knees and puts a line drive about eight feet over the head of the shortstop and the Razorbacks are up 3-0.

02423-Jared Wegner-East Illinois-andy

Slavens up now. He drops a single to left that will bring in Diggs. Now there's a bad throw and Slavens will head to second while Wegner moves over to third. That will extend the lead to 4-0 and put a pair of runners in scoring position for Bohrofen.

Bohrofen pushes Malatestnic to a 3-1 count and watches ball four. That's seven consecutive Razorbacks reaching base and the bases are drunk once again.

McLaughlin hits a grounder to short that gets rolled into a double play, but Wegner scores to make it 5-0.

Holt with a line shot to left field that went just high enough to get over the shortstop's head and had enough spin to immediately kick down to avoid the third out of the inning. That brings in Slavens and it's now 6-0 Hogs.

Now Polk's up and he hits a shot deep to right-center. It's all the way to the wall, but stays in the yard by maybe a foot. A month from now, that's a homer, but not on this cold day with the heavy air.

Arkansas 6, Eastern Illinois 0

Mid-inning break

There's been a lot going on in Alabama with the association of three Crimson Tide players with the murder of a young mother back in January.

MURDER, MILLER'S PRESENCE, WILL CAST DARK SHADOW OVER SATURDAY'S BASKETBALL GAME AGAINST ALABAMA

4th Inning

(TOP)

Smith comes back to the mound and immediately strikes out Rucker on three pitches. If our count is correct, that's five strikeouts for Smith in 3 1/3.

Zelewski kills a little bit of the momentum though as Smith tries to work the edges, leading to a walk.

Lashure hits a grounder to Bolton at short and he gets the lead runner for the second out. Worcester then grounds out to Holt at second and we're moving to the bottom of the fourth.

Arkansas 6, Eastern Illinois 0

4th Inning

(BOTTOM)

Nick Laxner is on to pitch for the Panthers and Bolton crushes a screamer down the third base line that is foul by a few blades of grass. Now he turns on one that has a chance and Ignoffo is able to catch it on the run with a full extended arm while heading into the wire fencing out by the bullpen. That took a lot of guts to make that catch. He could have lost some of his face on that one.

Josenberger goes nine pitches deep on a full count and watches a pitch that looked both low and inside for the second out of the inning.

Diggs works a full count also and goes down swinging. It took a lot of pitches, but Laxner has a perfect inning as we head to the top of the fifth.

Arkansas 6, Eastern Illinois 0

5th Inning

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Smith will come back out despite the limited pitch count. At last check he was approaching the mid-70s. Cody Adcock is warming up in the bullpen, so unless Smith makes short work of the Panthers, expect a visit to the mound from Van Horn.

Smith gets Taul to fly out to right on a full count and we'll see if he pitches to another batter. His speed has dropped about three or four miles per hour.

Another full count, this time on DiLuca. There's a fastball over the plate and another K for Smith.

Riley, who has struck out twice now, lifts a ball deep to left. It gets down, but Wegner comes up firing. There's a play at second. Bolton is just a tad late getting the tag down and Eastern Illinois has a runner in scoring position.

You'd expect that will bring Van Horn out for the change. Smith is way over what was expected for this game. There's a meeting at the mound, but it looks like he'll stick around for at least one more batter.

Smith goes to a full count on Ignoffo and ball four is low on the outside part of the plate. That will finally bring Van Horn out. Smith went 97 pitches on a game where the expectation was that he would only throw in the low 80s at most.

That brings Adcock in. He inherits runners at first and second.

Adcock is bringing heat similar to what Smith was throwing. He's hitting low 90s.

Gober hits a full count chopper that dies in the grass in that dead zone perfectly between the mound, third and short. The infield single loads the bases and Eastern Illinois is a big swing away from making this a game.

Adcock shuts it down though by throwing three pitches that painted the black on the outer edge of the plate and Arkansas comes up to bat looking to put this thing away.

Arkansas 6, Eastern Illinois 0

Mid-inning break

A bill in the Texas Senate concerning NIL for high schoolers will make things much more difficult for the Razorbacks in recruiting if it passes.

IF TEXAS BILL PASSES, RECRUITING WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR RAZORBACKS IN THE LONE STAR STATE

5th Inning

(BOTTOM)

Apparently Eastern Illinois got to see a little bit of the tape of Arkansas against Grambling. Laxner slows it way down and nearly breaks Wegner's knee caps and he has retired four straight.

Slavens hits a hard grounder into right field and the Razorbacks are on the bases. That brings up Bohrofen and he hits this one a mile. It's a home run if it stays fair. It goes into the upper level concourse area in right field, but it's ruled foul.

Slavens on a delayed steal and it's a close play at second. The replay looks like he got his hand barely under the tag. If the glove had been on the ground then he would definitely be out. This has to be slowed down to single frames to see if he's safe.

And the call stands. Slavens will get to stay at second while Bohrofen steps back to. the plate to resume his at-bat with a 1-1 count. Bohrofen extends it to a full count and eventually draws the walk.

McLaughlin turns on one and it's a repeat of the almost home run that Bohrofen hit. It hit in the exact same spot on that upper concourse area. That's two home runs that just barely went foul from back-to-back hitters for the Hogs and no runs to show for it.

McLaughlin then flies out to left-center and the runners hold. 

Two gone for the Hogs and Holt comes up. Holt with a slow dribbler between first and second that gets into right field. Slavens rounds the corner. Here comes the throw. It gets cut off and the Razorbacks have another run on the board.

That brings up Polk and Bohoren is going from second. He's safe at third as that throw wasn't close. Holt moves over to second also. 

Polk hits a high chopper to third. The throw takes a hard bounce into first and it's caught to end the inning.

Arkansas 7, Eastern Illinois 0

6th Inning

(TOP)

Van Horn will now bring in Austin Ledbetter to replace Adcock, and even though he's known for his off-speed stuff and breaking pitches, Ledbetter drops a fast ball in at over 90 mph.

Unfortunately for Ledbetter, he gets high and in on a 2-2 pitch that plunks Zelewski in the shoulder and the lead-off runner is on.

Lashure with a hard hit does opposite field to right. That ball is going. It's still going, and it hits off the top of the fence. It bounces back past a sprinting Bohrofen who had shifted over for the righty. He's able to run it down, but not before Lashure is in at second with a double that puts Zelewski at third with no one out.

Wocester turns hard on a high pitch and places a grounder perfectly through the infield gap and into left for a single. That brings Zelewski across and the Panthers are on the board, 7-1 on the single and there are now runners at the corners with no outs.

Ledbetter battles through an 8-pitch at-bat against Evans and finally gets the strikeout. Polk immediately fires toward first in hopes of doubling up Wocester who has has been learning hard, but Wocester breaks for second instead and arrives safely. That will take away the double play option that could have helped the Hogs get out of the inning.

DiLuca fouls off three consecutive pitches before lifting one high into center field. Lashure tags up and scores and it's now 7-2.

Riley extends Ledbetter to a full count and he hits one to the track in center that Josenberger is able to track down. After nearly 40 pitches in that inning, Ledbetter is able to get the Razorbacks back up to bat.

Arkansas 7, Eastern Illinois 2

Mid-inning break

With no one talking about the actual game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, allHogs.com editor Andy Hodges decides it's time to talk game.

MUSSELMAN ABLE TO FOCUS ON PREPARATIONS FOR ALABAMA WHILE SPOTLIGHT ELSEWHERE

6th Inning

(BOTTOM)

Bolton with a hard single to shortstop and the Hogs start the inning with a runner.

The organ is cranking out the tunes and Josenberger is trying to get another bunt single down the third base line. This is old school baseball. It rolls foul. Now Josenberger turns on one. It's high in the air, but it's carrying. Ignoffo is back by the wall in right-center and is able to make the grab.

Diggs turns hard on a grounder and it looks like a single to right. Wait, DiLuca dives at the edge of the grass and barely gets a glove on it. He's up quickly, throws to first and Diggs is robbed of a single. Bolton advances to second and that brings up Wegner with two outs.

Wegner without his full swing. It lifts the ball high to left and that's an easy out. Arkansas is held scoreless again for the fourth time in six innings.

Arkansas 7, Eastern Illinois 2

7th Inning

(TOP)

Ignoffo comes up to face Gage Wood who is on the mound now. He will now have four at-bats without getting out as Wood puts one up around his head. It catches him on the hand and he looks like he's hurting quite a bit.

That brings up Gober. Wood takes him to 0-2 and Gober gets a hard swing. It's a powerful line drive that goes directly to Wegner and there's one down.

Wood throws a nasty hook and Rucker goes down swinging for the second out.

Then he comes back with heat on the outside corner and Zalewski watches a third strike to end the inning.

Arkansas 7, Eastern Illinois 2

Mid-inning break

Who would play on which day if the SEC Tournament were starting tomorrow?

HOGS WOULD HAVE DIFFICULT DRAW IF SEC TOURNAMENT WERE ALREADY SET TO BEGIN

7th Inning

(BOTTOM)

Laxner is out for a fourth inning and he takes Slavens down to a knee chasing a pitch for the first out of the inning.

Bohrofen comes to the plate and there is an extreme shift on. If you like your third baseman playing short cheating toward second, then this is your at-bat. A ball skips in to the plate and hits Bohrofen lightly on the heel and he's sent to first on a HBP.

That will be it for Lexner. That brings on Pottinger and while he warms up, there is a talk going on between the Eastern Illinois coach and the officials. Apparently the issue is Arkansas fans throwing objects into the Panthers' bullpen from the outfield area. 

That will bring up Caleb Cali who is pinch hitting for McLaughlin. Bohrofen on the run and he slides in with an easy steal of second. The throw was high and Eastern Illinois is lucky that one didn't end up deep into center field.

Cali watches an fastball that is way outside and the Hogs have runners at first and second. Holt turns one and blazes a grounder to third that takes a quick hop that gets past Akbar at third. Bohrofen scores and Holt gets thrown out on an error at third. 

There's a pitch that gets away from the catcher and here comes Cali. He's in safe for another run and it's now 9-2. It looks like Cali got hit in the face with the ball while sliding face first into the plate.

Polk walks on four straight balls and that will be it for Pottinger. It looks like Lawson will come on with a runner at second and two outs in an effort to try to keep this game from ending via run rule.

Polk gets to second on a passed ball. Now Josenberger hits a hard single to right. Bolton moves over to second on the hit.

Kendall Diggs gets into one. It's deep to center. This is over if it goes. Riley loses his glove as he slams into the wall and that one is gone. It's all over. hogs win this one, 13-2.

Arkansas divider

HOGS FEED:

MUSSELMAN ABLE TO FOCUS ON PREPARATIONS FOR ALABAMA WHILE SPOTLIGHT ELSEWHERE

MURDER, MILLER'S PRESENCE, WILL CAST DARK SHADOW OVER SATURDAY'S BASKETBALL GAME AGAINST ALABAMA

FORMER RAZORBACK RUNNING BACK PEYTON HILLIS ADDRESSES FANS, EXPECTS FULL RECOVERY AFTER ACCIDENT

WHICH TWO-GAME VERSION OF THE RAZORBACKS WILL HOGS BRING TO ALABAMA?

HOGS SURVIVE SHOCKING CHALLENGE FROM SWAC'S GRAMBLING ST. TUESDAY

NEW BASEBALL CLOCK RULE NEEDS TO BE TRASHED ALREADY

RAZORBACK BASEBALL: YOU NEED TO KNOW JARED WEGNER

TURNS OUT ARKANSAS QB RECRUIT HAD VERY UNFORTUNATE REASON TO TRANSFER

IN DEFENSE OF NICK SMITH, JR.

THROWING NICK SMITH INTO THE FIRE AGAIN MIGHT BE HOGS' BEST OPTION

SEC BASKETBALL STANDINGS

FAYETTEVILLE WEATHER OUTLOOK

Arkansas divider

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Published
Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments. 

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