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Live Blog: Arkansas vs. JMU (Game 2)

Razorbacks take on feisty Dukes in another cold one at Baum-Walker

Kent Smith

Live Blog: Arkansas vs. JMU (Game 2)
Live Blog: Arkansas vs. JMU (Game 2) /
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – It's opening day for the No. 3 Arkansas Razorbacks as today they get set to take on the James Madison Dukes. We will be following the action live, keeping Razorbacks fans up to date as the game unfolds. Obviously, it's the first game of the season, so things might be a little rusty, but check back often as we update what has transpired.

Need to Familiarize Yourself with This Year's Team?

Take time to look through our in-depth coverage of everything fans could ever want to know about this year's Razorbacks. You will not only catch up on the latest developments, but will have tons of opportunities to get to know a lot of the new players fans will see today.

Read Key Stories from Yesterday's Game

• TRANSFER SHINES, MCENTIRE BAILS OUT PITCHING STAFF AGAINST JMU

• SPRAGUE-LOTT SHOWS OFF IN RAZORBACKS' OPENER

• NEW HOGS BRING MISSING ADDED DIMENSION THAT MAKES ARKANSAS EVEN MORE POTENT

• ARKANSAS FANS NEED TO RETRAIN BRAINS TO MAXIMIZE ENJOYMENT OF BASEBALL SEASON

Today's weather:

After a miserable day yesterday with a cold front pushing in from the north with high winds, today will be a welcome change even though the change won't be extreme. The clouds are exchanged for sunny skies and winds will be about 15 mph less than yesterday. However, there will still be a breeze and it will once again be around 36° at first pitch. At the very least, we aren't expecting the extreme adventures in the outfield players faced yesterday and we aren't as likely to see a routine fly ball carry out of the park.

Starting line-up:

SEC scoreboard

FRIDAY:
(3) Arkansas 6, JMU 3
(6) Vanderbilt 12, Florida Atlantic 11
St. John's 9, (2) Florida 5
(4) LSU 11, VMI 8
(8) Texas A&M 15, McNeese 0
(9) Tennessee 6, (21) Texas Tech 2
(19) Alabama 4, Manhattan 0
(25) South Carolina 5, Miami (OH) 1
Georgia 11, UNC Ashville 2
Kentucky 11, SC Upstate 7
Mississippi St. 8, Air Force 4
Auburn 17, Eastern Kentucky 6
Ole Miss 5, Hawaii 4 (13)

SATURDAY: 
(25) South Carolina 11, Miami (OH) 4 
Missouri 12, Cal Poly 8 
(4) LSU 2, Central Arkansas 0  
Florida Atlantic 5, (6) Vanderbilt 4
(19) Alabama 15, Manhattan 0 
Kentucky 3, SC Upstate 0 
Auburn 6, Eastern Kentucky 1 
Georgia 17, UNC Ashville 5 
St. John's, (2) Florida [Cancelled]
(8) Texas A&M 6, McNeese 1 

Top 1st:

Not quite as much thermal hunting gear on display in the stadium today. And things are off to a rocky start. After throwing a couple of tough pitches, he hits Dunaway in the head with a fastball so hard it knocks the helmet completely off his head.

Great play by Sprague-Lott charging in from third on what looked like a perfect bunt down the third base line. He was able to make a perfect throw across his body on a dead sprint for the first out of the game. Then freshman Ryder Helfrick, making his first start at catcher, snags an inside pitch and throws Dunaway out at third. Holt makes an acrobatic play and throw on a ball hit hard up the middle and the Razorbacks get Trimble out to close the inning. Trimble was a triple away from the cycle yesterday.

Arkansas 0, JMU 0

Bottom 1st:

Following a pop-out to short by White, Diggs draws a walk and the Razorbacks have their first runner of the day aboard. 
Aloy comes to the plate and the Hawaii native is really struggling to adapt to the cold. He's bundled up like he's heading for a day on the slopes. For most of the day, his eyes are all anyone is going to see if him. 

James Madison pitcher Max Kuhle looks really dominant on the mound today. Hitters don't get a chance to see the ball until the very last moment and he's painting the edges. Aloy strikes out and McLaughlin had to struggle to get a two-strike pop-out to end the inning.

Arkansas 0, JMU 0

Top 2nd:

Ryan Dooley hits a low liner that came off the bat at 100 mph that hit the ground near shortstop and never came back up because of extreme spin on the ball. It slides into the outfield for the first hit of the game.
Once again the Dukes go with a good bunt down third and once again Sprague-Lott makes a great play to get the out. A couple more grounders to second and third and Tygart gets out of the inning without much effort. His breaking ball is looking strong today.

Arkansas 0, JMU 0

Bottom 2nd:

Holt rips the first pitch he sees through the hole on the right side. He is just on fire at the plate. Both Helfrick and Edmundson fall victim to great plays out in right field by O'Donnell. He almost double up Holt trying to tag and get to second.

Kuhle strikes out Sprague-Lott on a pitch at the top of the zone. As mentioned yesterday, there is an emphasis on calling the strike zone from the top of the letters to the knees and he wasn't ready to take a cut at a ball that high. It is also clear a lot of Razorback fans aren't aware of the strike zone adjustment yet.

Arkansas 0, JMU 0

Top 3rd:

Tygart gets a flyout on his first pitch and then records his first strikeout of the game to the No. 9 hitter. He got through the entire line-up on 27 pitches with two down in the third. 

And Brady Tygart has hit Dunaway in the head a second time. This time is was a hard breaking ball and Dunaway ducked his head down and ended up dropping his helmet right into the ball. 

Arkansas 0, JMU 0

Bottom 3rd:

Wilmsmeyer takes the first pitch he sees out of the yard. That one went out at the scoreboard in right-center and if that is the power Arkansas is going to get out of the No. 9 hole, that's a big weapon for Arkansas that hasn't been there the past few years.

Kuhle settles down to record a couple of strikeouts to get out of the inning and the damage is minimized. 

Arkansas 1, JMU 0

Top 4th:

Tygart gets Trimble to hit a ball to center with similar power to what he hit the home run with yesterday, but without the heavy wind, it turns into an easy out for Wilmsmeyer in center.

Tygart follows it by giving up a single to left by Dooley, then hits Calabrese in the elbow to put runners at first and second. That's the third hit batsman of the game. It puts Tygart one away from matching his total for all of last season.

Tygart was able to battle back to get a second out, but he walks Steinberg and the bases are loaded. Multiple times Helfrick has had to make strong plays behind the plate to avoid a passed ball. Tygart is just a little off this inning. All these balls are going outside and it seems like those hit batters are getting into his mind. He walks Schiavone hitter and we're now tied. They're just now getting guys up in the bullpen, so he will face at least one more hitter.

Tygart runs a ball under the chin of Peifer, almost hitting another Duke in the head. Fortunately for the Razorbacks, in an instinct of self preservation, Peifer swung, barely pulling him back enough to avoid getting hit. Eventually Tygart gets the strikeout and the Razorbacks head to the bottom of the fourth without giving up the lead.

Arkansas 1, JMU 1

Bottom 4th:

McLaughlin strikes out to start the inning and Kuhle is now up to five K's on the day. The line-up today isn't looking as consistent at the plate as it did yesterday.

Although that changes. Helfrick, a freshman his teammates refer to as Mike Trout, crushes a line drive to left that just keeps going and his first hit as a Razorback is a home run to put the Razorbacks on top. What a show of power for someone so young.

Holt reaches on an error on a ground ball to short that knocks Kuhle out of the game. Emundson then rips a hard grounder up the middle that moves Holt to third to give Arkansas runners at the corners with one out and Sprague-Lott headed to the plate.

Sprague Lott rips a liner that's just high enough to get off the tip of the glove at shortstop and Arkansas gets another run on the single. Wilmsmeyer follows his home with a hard line single off the end of the bat over third into left field and now that Kuhle is out, the Razorback bats are heating up.

Now a pick-off move to second keeps going into the outfield as the second baseman didn't look the ball in and both runners advance to give Arkansas runners at second and third. JMU loads the bases as a new pitcher comes in and Kendall Diggs opts to be patient and draws a walk to bring in another inning.

Aloy then hits a high chopper to short that results in a double-play and the inning is over.

Arkansas 5, JMU 1

Top 5th:

Dunaway, who has been hit in the head in both his at-bats, will have a pinch-hitter to face Tygart the third time around. After a rough 4th inning, Tygart used the long half inning to settle himself down and struck out the lead-off on a great series of pitches. 

Tygart, who is getting near the end of his pitch count gets another out and then gets a ridiculous play by Wilmsmeyer who charges from center field to his right and elevates up the wall at a full sprint to reach over and steal a home run from Trimble. What a defensive play. No idea how he got that.

Arkansas 5, JMU 1

Bottom 5th:

McLaughlin fights one off to drop it in just over the infield behind third to lead off with a single. Helfrick follows with a walk and this game has the potential to get out of hand pretty quick.

Sprague-Lott walks to load the bases with one out and that brings up the day's hottest hitter, Wilmsmeyer. He rips a line drive directly over second base into shallow center and two Hogs will score. That's 4 RBI out of the nine hole. That's just insane. If Oregon State is watching today, that's got to make them nervous.

Now Hudson White walks with runners at the corners to load the bases again. Diggs gets jammed in on the hands for a grounder to first to end the inning, but this one is beginning to feel kinda done. It's hard to find the fight to extend a game and come back when it's cold like this.

Arkansas 7, JMU 1

Top 6th:

For the second day in a row, Van Horn calls on a sophomore in relief. Parker Coil takes the mound and on his first pitch gives up a ground single up the middle to Dooley. He's now 3-for-3 on the day.

He then gives up a high chopped single over third to Calabrese. Sprague-Lott was playing up and the ball barely got over his head. Coil comes back to get O'Donnell swinging. JMU sends the runner from first, which cause Holt to move toward the bag and Steinberg dropped a grounder right where Holt had been standing to drive in a run with one out.

The thing is, Coil is pitching great. these hits are coming on what would be weak routine ground balls if guys are in their normal position in the infield. He walks Schiavone on a full count where he threw three pitches that have been called strikes both days, but didn't get the call so bases are loaded.

Peifer pushes a sacrifice bunt back to Coil to bring home a run and make it 7-3 with two outs. And now Cannizzaro hits a solid single to center that brings in a pair of runs on the first legitimate hit Coil has given up this game. That cuts the lead to two and now there's reason for concern. What a strange outing for Coil. Literally everything worked against him in what was a solid outing on its face.

Koty Frank comes in for the first time since becoming one of those key pitching losses early last season and retires the Dukes in a single pitch to put an abrupt end to the rally. High pop-up to center ends the inning.

Arkansas 7, JMU 5

Bottom 6th:

Aloy leads off with a walk and McLaughlin moves him over to third with a ground single to center to give Arkansas runners at the corners with no outs for Helfrick. He gets plunked in the leg and bases are loaded. And as we get a meeting at the mound, we get what I am pretty sure is the first Hog call of the year. It wasn't exactly spirited because fans seem reluctant to get their hands out of their pockets, but it happened nonetheless.

Holt rips a liner to center and drives in a run to keep the bases loaded with no outs to extend the lead back out to three. Sprague-Lott draws a walk to bring in a run as Arkansas continues to push the lead back out with patience at the plate.

Wilmsmeyer hits what should have easily been a double-play ball, but he has so much elite speed, JMU not only can't turn the double-play, it's not even close. Like by multiples steps. That was impressive and as a result, Wilmsmeyer drives in his fifth run of the day.

White hits a double down into the corner in right and we see more of that insane speed from Wilmsmeyer as he scores all the way first and the throw was a good 10 feet behind him. That's five runs for the Hogs this inning.

That brings in the sixth James Madison pitcher in Madden. The Razorbacks have now batted around as Diggs is the ninth hitter of the inning. He puts it through the smallest of holes on the right side that then goes under the glove of the right fielder to drive in another run. 
Aloy pops out and as the shadows begin to get really long at Baum-Walker, we finally move into the 7th inning.

Arkansas 13, JMU 5

Top 7th:

Frank shows what made him such a weapon last year before his injury. He goes three up, three down through the most dangerous part of the line-up, including becoming the first Razorback pitcher to keep Dooley from getting a hit today. That sets Arkansas up to end this on the run rule next in the bottom half of the inning.

Arkansas 13, JMU 5

Bottom 7th:

James Madison will roll out its seventh pitcher of the game. There are still two games left in the series. You have to wonder if the Dukes will be able to finish. Brooks coaxes a double-play out of Helfrick and Holt grounds out for a perfect inning and we'll keep playing at Baum-Walker.

Arkansas 13, JMU 5

Top 8th:

Frank is perfect in the game as he retires all three hitters to make it seven consecutive. The only thing more perfect is the beautiful handlebar mustache he brings to the mound. His work has been nasty today as these JMU hitters have no idea what he's coming with next.

Arkansas 13, JMU 5

Bottom 8th:

Well, Brooks seemed solid last inning, but it appears we will now have an eighth pitcher for James Madison. Hull rares back and spikes one into the ground that kicks up and catches Schiavone in the tenders and he has been down on the ground doubled over for a very long time. Oh! They just showed the replay and he took that one square. That's a full minute collapse for people who just watched it, much less took the hit itself. 

Schiavone is back behind the plate and Hull plunks Emundson solid in the hip and he will head down to first. Hull's inconsistency plays to his favor as he's able to lure the Razorbacks into a pair of outs before White hits a double down the left field line to put runners at second and third.

Diggs tried his best to bring this game to an end, but drew a walk. That brings up Aloy who is in need of a hit just to get him going. He turns on one with a hard line drive down the left field line and that's going to end it. He gets a pair of RBI and the Hogs win this one by run rule. Good for Aloy because he's a strong hitter who fought through nerves for the first two games of the season. Now hopefully he can settle in and just play now he's got that first hit under his belt.

Arkansas 15, JMU 5 Final [Run Rule]

BSB-James-Madison-Game-2
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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