All Hogs

Extra-Base Hit Parade for Kentucky Sinks Razorbacks in Series Finale

Arkansas digs hole too deep too early, can't find offense and manage to dig out dropping road series to Wildcats

Daniel Shi

Arkansas Razorbacks' Hudson White during a game against James Madison earlier this season.
Arkansas Razorbacks' Hudson White during a game against James Madison earlier this season. / Gunnar Rathbun-Arkansas Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky. — No. 2 Arkansas dropped the rubber match to the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats, 7-4, to relinquish first place in the SEC, leaving 11 runners on while allowing the Wildcat bats to tag Razorback pitching with five extra-base hits.

"It's tough losing the series," coach Dave Van Horn said. Especially on the road like this, when we felt like if we could have just swung the bats a little bit better, but we didn't deserve to win this series."

Émilien Pitre will be in no rush to usher the Arkansas pitching staff onto the flight back to Fayetteville. He and the rest of the Kentucky Wildcats got to both starter Mason Molina and Will McEntire to score the first six runs of the game.

Pitre opened proceedings with a solo homer just over the yellow line in right field just two batters into the game, picking up right where he left off yesterday after going 2-for-3 Saturday.

Molina labored through threw through three innings, walking three and striking out three as his command issues continued. He gave up his second homer of the day in front of a four-pitch walk with a two-run shot down the left field line off the bat of Nick Lopez to stretch the Kentucky lead to 3-0.

Will McEntire wasn't that much better behind Molina getting charged with three runs in just 2/3 of an inning to double Kentucky's lead to 6-0, giving up three doubles including a run-scoring two-base hit from Pitre off of Peyton Holt's glove in center field on a leaping attempt.

Arkansas' bats did nothing to respond. Despite having traffic with walks and hit by pitches, the Razorbacks did not record a hit until a leadoff infield single in the fifth from Hudson White. The Hogs then hung two on the Wildcats with a bunt single, an RBI single from Wehiwa Aloy for his team-leading 48th RBI and a sac fly.

Kendall Diggs continued his renaissance with an RBI single up the middle in the seventh to trim the lead to 6-3 and brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Holt. Holt flew out to right on the first pitch before Holt gave the run back on an error in the outfield in the bottom of the inning.

Diggs and Holt had a chance as the tying run at the plate in the ninth but a pair of flyouts clinched the series for the Wildcats.

The Razorbacks now return home for the final SEC regular season series at Baum-Walker Stadium against Mississippi State 6 p.m. Friday. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.

HOGS FEED:

• Taking stock of Razorback recruiting rankings

• Sam Pittman will need to hit another longshot with Razorbacks like he did with Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan

• Razorbacks offense finish with whimper after homer against Kentucky

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Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI