Razorback Offense Shut Out In Finale Against Tide; Drop First SEC Series

Alabama starter pitches a gem, but Hogs' offense no-shows to lose back-to back games for the first time this season

Alabama pitcher Zane Adams during a game against Arkansas on April 14, 2024 in the series finale at Thomas-Sewell Stadium / Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No.1 Arkansas was held to just four hits in the series finale against the No. 25 Alabama Crimson Tide in a 5-0 shutout loss on Sunday afternoon. The Razorbacks fell to 12-3 in SEC play after suffering their first series' loss of the season.

Alabama starter Zane Adams pitched eight scoreless innings on just 97 pitches. Adams is only in the starting rotation because of a season-ending arm injury to Hagan Banks. Only Jared Sprague-Lott and Ben McLaughlin had two-hit days for the Hogs. The rest of the lineup went a combined 0-for-23 at the dish.

"He threw a lot of strikes and kept some guys off balance," coach Dave Van Horn said. "We let some good pitches go by and swung at bad pitches. Got ourselves out a lot. But give him credit. He was ahead in the count, and we didn’t get him early."

The only real scoring chance for the Razorbacks came in the sixth when Sprague-Lott laced a two-out double to left, just missing a game-tying homer in a 1-0 game. McLaughlin followed with a single to left but confusion with the third base coach Nate Thompson caused Sprague-Lott to slip rounding the bag and keep him from scoring. Aloy flew out to straightaway center to end the threat.

"It felt like nothing could go wrong,” Adams said. “I wasn’t thinking about where I was throwing the ball, I wasn’t thinking about anything, I was just letting it go and it was going where it needed to go."

Brady Tygart navigated traffic on the bases all day and did not have a 1-2-3 inning in five innings of work but did face the minimum twice thanks to two early double plays. The right hander's only actual blemish was a two-out RBI single off the bat of Ian Petrutz in the third.

Bryce Eblin gave the Crimson Tide insurance runs that the Crimson Tide didn't end up needing with a two-run homer off of Koty Frank down the right field line in the seventh. Alabama tacked on two more in the eighth on a sac fly and a throwing error from catcher Ryder Helfrick.

It's the first time the Hogs have been shut out since June 23, 2022, when Dylan DeLucia pitched a complete game against Arkansas in the College World Series on 113 pitches. Alton Davis II came in to pitch a scoreless ninth after being the winning pitcher yesterday.

In the final 24 innings of the series, Arkansas was limited to just three runs (all by solo homers) on just 11 hits with 18 strikeouts.

You worry about it [the lack of hitting] but I think we are going to be fine," Van Horn said. "We need to get back, relax and play good baseball."

The Razorbacks return to Baum-Walker for a two-game series against Texas Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

HOGS FEED:

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• Defensive lapse at end costs Razorbacks in 10-inning loss to Alabama, snapping streak

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