First off, there haven’t been many games on Sunday this year, it’s been nearly a month since Arkansas baseball played a game on Sunday (March 17 against Missouri during the opening week of SEC play).
The Razorbacks also find themselves in the unfamiliar spot of needing a win in the finale to secure a winning weekend. That hasn’t happened since Arkansas beat Michigan 4-3 in Arlington during the second weekend of the year and the first time in a series against the same opponent.
Arkansas sends Brady Tygart to the mound. The flip-flop between Tygart and fellow starter Mason Molina has worked like a treat. Until last night’s walk-off loss, the Razorbacks were 4-0 in games started by the two since the switch was made for the LSU series.
Tygart will be opposed by Zane Adams, a true freshman thrust in the weekend rotation after Sunday starter Hagan Banks sustained an arm injury in his start against Georgia on March 24 and underwent season-ending surgery.
(READ NEXT: Check out our in-depth recap of Game 2 of the Arkansas vs Alabama series)
LIVE UPDATES – Arkansas vs Alabama (Game 3)
Pregame Tidbits
- Peyton Holt starts in left field for the second straight day after Dave Van Horn admitted that they “haven’t had any offense from our outfield, honestly, in a while.”
- Ryder Helfrick is in the lineup for the second straight day for the first time in SEC play and just the second time all year. Hudson White gets the day off
- Kendall Diggs takes over in the leadoff spot
- Alabama’s lineup features just one change from last night, Evan Sleight is in right field instead of William Hamiter
Starting Lineups
Top 1st – Arkansas 0, Alabama 0
- Kendall Diggs flied to right, 1 out
- Peyton Stovall strikes out looking, 2 outs
- Jared Sprague-Lott strikes out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 1st – Arkansas 0, Alabama 0
- Gage Miller walks
- Ian Petrutz flied into a double play, left field to shortstop to first, Miller out at first, 2 outs… Dave Van Horn has found his left fielder.
- Justin Lebron flied to right, 3 outs
Top 2nd – Arkansas 0, Alabama 0
- Ben McLaughlin singled to right
- Wehiwa Aloy flied to center, 1 out
- Nolan Souza grounded to second, McLaughlin to second, 2 outs
- Holt lined out to center, 3 outs, nice sliding catch
Bottom 2nd – Arkansas 0, Alabama 0
- oWill Hodo walked
- Kade Snell grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Hodo out at second, 2 outs
- TJ McCants flied to right, 3 outs
Top 3rd – Arkansas 0, Alabama 0
- Ryder Helfrick grounded to third, 1 out
- Ty Wilmsmeyer struck out looking, 2 outs
- Diggs reached on an error by the shortstop
- Stovall grounded out to second, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd – Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Evan Sleight fouled to third, 1 out
- Mac Guscette singled to center … caromed off the second base bag and trickled into center
- Bryce Eblin singled to right, Guscette to third
- Miller struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Petrutz singled to right, Guscette scored, Eblin to second, Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Lebron flied to left, 3 outs
Top 4th – Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Sprague-Lott singled to right
- McLaughlin grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Sprague-Lott out at second, 2 outs
- Aloy walked
- Nolan Souza grounded to first, unassisted, 3 outs
Bottom 4th – Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Hodo grounded to second, 1 out
- Snell singled to right
- McCants singled to right, Snell to second
- Sleight stuck out swinging, 2 outs
- Guscette lined to first, 3 outs
Top 5th – Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Holt flied to left, 1 out
- Helfrick grounded to short, 2 outs
- Wilmsmeyer grounded to short, 3 outs … quick six pitch inning
Bottom 5th – Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Eblin grounded out, first to pitcher, 1 out
- Miller hit by a pitch
- Miller advanced to second on a wild pitch
- Petrutz flied to center, 2 outs
- Miller advanced to third on a wild pitch
- Lebron struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 6th – Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Diggs flied to right, 1 out
- Stovall grounded out to first, 2 outs
- Sprague-Lott doubled to left … just missed a game-tying homer
- McLaughlin singled to left, Sprague-Lott to third … oh boy, Sprague-Lott didn’t cut the third base bag clean when trying to round the base.
- Aloy flied to center, 3 outs… Aloy can’t pick him up
Bottom 6th – Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Koty Frank to pitch for Tygart
- Hodo flied to right, 1 out
- Snell grounded to third, 2 outs
- McCants grounded to second, 3 outs
Top 7th – Alabama 1, Arkansas 0
- Souza flied to center, 1 out
- Holt sturck out swinging, 2 outs
- Helfrick grounded out to short, 3 outs … 84 pitches and seven scoreless frames with six first pitch outs
Bottom 7th – Alabama 3, Arkansas 0
- Sleight hit by pitch
- Guscette out on a sac bunt, pitcher to first, Sleight to second
- Eblin homered to right, Sleight scored, Alabama 3, Arkansas 0 … Welp.
- Miller doubled to left
- Will McEntire to pitch for Frank
- Petrutz doubled to right, Miller to third … perfectly placed down the line
- Lebron struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Hodo popped to third, 3 outs … Arkansas offense… Hello?
Top 8th – Alabama 3, Arkansas 0
- Will Edmunson pinch hit for Ty Willmsmeyer
- Edmunson grounded to short, 1 out
- Diggs sturck out swinging, 2 outs
- Stovall flied to left, 3 outs … 97 pitches, just absolute domination
Bottom 8th – Alabama 4, Arkansas 0
- Snell doubled to right
- McCants singled, bunt, Snell to third
- Sleight flied to center, Snell scored, sac fly, McCants to second, Alabama 4, Arkansas 0
- McCants stole third, scored on an error by the catcher, Alabama 5, Arkansas 0
- Guscetter grounded to short, 2 outs
- Eblin grounded to second, 3 outs
Top 9th – Alabama 5, Arkansas 0
- Alton Davis II to pitch for Zane Adams
- Sprague-Lott grounded out to short, 1 out
- McLaughlin grounded to second, 2 outs
- Aloy walked
- Aloy advanced to second on defensive indifference
- Souza struck out swinging, 3 outs, FINAL – ALABAMA 5, ARKANSAS 0
| Alabama Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Gage Miller – 3B | 1. Kendall Diggs – RF |
| 2. Ian Petrutz – LF | 2. Peyton Stovall- 2B |
| 3. Justin Lebron – SS | 3. Jared Sprague-Lott – 3B |
| 4. Will Hodo – 1B | 4. Ben McLaughlin – 1B |
| 5. Kade Snell – DH | 5. Wehiwa Aloy – SS |
| 6. TJ McCants – CF | 6. Nolan Souza – DH |
| 7. Evan Sleight – RF | 7. Peyton Holt – LF |
| 8. Mac Guscette – C | 8. Ryder Helfrick – C |
| 9. Bryce Eblin – 2B | 9. Ty Wilmsmeyer – CF |
| Pitching: Zane Adams | Pitching: RHP Brady Tygart |
How to Watch Arkansas vs Alabama (Game 3)
Date: Sunday, April 14
Location: Sewell-Thomas Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
First Pitch: 1 p.m. CT
TV/Stream: SEC Network-Plus
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