Razorbacks Flash Leather, Power in Win Over James Madison

Transfers, freshman power Hogs to first two games of the series against Dukes

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas newcomers shined with both the glove and the bat en route to a 15-5 run-rule win over the James Madison Dukes to improve to 2-0. Ty Wilmsmeyer led the way with a 3-for-5 day with five runs batted in. 

"He [Wilmsmeyer] has a little sneaky power and can really run," coach Dave Van Horn said.  "Great job of beating out that double play ball. He got down in the count. Got an RBI there. He just kept chipping away. Five RBI. That’s a pretty big day for someone hitting down in the order."

A day after Hagen Smith threw 42 pitches in the first inning, rotation-mate Brady Tygart needed just 10 pitches to record three outs thanks to some great infield defense. Jared Sprague-Lott continued his stellar first impression on the Baum-Walker faithful. He charged a sac bunt to record a putout at first and snagged a sailing throw to tag out a runner trying to steal third. Peyton Holt finished the inning with a play from the seat of his pants. 

Neither team got a runner to third base until Wilmsmeyer led off the bottom of the third inning with a 369-foot homer to right on an 83-mile-an-hour off-speed pitch to open the scoring.

Tygart was unable to work around self-induced damage in the fourth. A single followed by his third hit batsman of the day and two walks forced home the tying run but he was able to strike out the nine-hole hitter Wyatt Pfifer to strand the bases loaded and keep parity on the scoreboard. 

The Razorbacks didn't let the parity stay for long. Highly touted freshman catcher Ryder Helfrick clobbered a 367-foot solo homer on his 19th birthday to left to give the Razorbacks back the lead, 2-1 in his first start behind the plate. Arkansas took advantage of a one-out error on the shortstop Mason Dunaway. Three straight singles stretched the lead to 4-1. Willmsmeyer and Sprague-Lott both had RBI hits. Kendall Diggs drew a bases-loaded walk, as Arkansas sent nine batters to the plate. 

"I would say it went really well," Helfrick said. Coming here, you’re working on catching. That’s one part of my game that I feel like has gotten a lot better since getting here. I'm excited about that; I caught well. The home run was just a good swing on a good pitch. Catching Brady you just learn from him. Learn from what he has to teach and say. You kinda let him take the controls on it."

Wilmsmeyer having already hit a homer, took a solo shot away from James Madison's best hitter, Fenwick Trimble, with a leaping grab over the center field wall and finished Tygart's five innings of work with just one run allowed. 

"It was one of the better ones [catches] that I can remember at least. Wilmsmeyer said. I know the pitch probably wasn’t where Brady wanted it to be. Pull side gap, [Will] Edmunson had great communication and let me know where I was at with the wall, able to time it up well and make a play." 

In the bottom of the fifth, he came up with the bases loaded and smacked a two-run single up the middle to extend the lead to 7-1. 

The Dukes would not go down without a fight, dropping a four-spot in the top of the sixth. Four singles, a sacrifice with the bases loaded and a walk off Parker Coil put the tying run at the plate, but graduate righty Koty Frank came in to get Mike Mancini to fly out to center and preserve a 7-5 lead. 

The first four Razorbacks all reached in the bottom of the inning for some insurance, getting all the runs back and then some. Peyton Holt hit an RBI single with the bases loaded as the Hogs went station-to-station. Sprague Lott added a bases-loaded walk and Wilmsmeyer knocked in a career-high fifth RBI on a groundout. Hudson White continued his hot start with a two-run double. Diggs capped off the six-run inning with a single through the RBI single to the right side with Arkansas leading 13-5. 

Wehiva Aloy got his first hit in a Hog uniform, a two-RBI single that capped off a surprise 15-5 run-rule victory. 

"I had no idea [there was a run-rule], Tygart said. "I’m glad there was. It was cold."

Arkansas looks to secure a series win against James Madison 1 p.m. Feb. 17. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.

HOG FEED:

RAZORBACKS HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW OUT ADMIST MAJOR OPPORTUNITY  

MCENTIRE BAILS OUT PITCHING STAFF IN SEASON-OPENING WIN OVER JAMES MADISON

RAZORBACKS LOOK TO USE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE FOR SMALL-BALL

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