Hogs Pull Away Late to Win Game 2, Clinch Arkansas vs Eastern Illinois Series

Arkansas baseball, Arkansas vs Eastern Illinois
photo credit: Baumology

FAYETTEVILLE — Peyton Stovall’s absence lasted just one game, as he’s back in the starting lineup for Game 2 of the Arkansas vs Eastern Illinois series Saturday afternoon.

He is playing second base and batting second in the game, which has a noon CT first pitch. The game will be streamed on SEC Network-Plus.

Head coach Dave Van Horn said after Friday’s game that X-rays came back negative and he was awaiting results of an MRI. That apparently came back with good news, as he’s playing again.

It may have turned out to be a good thing for the Razorbacks, as his backup – JUCO transfer Peyton Holt – showed he was a capable fill-in. He went 2 for 4 with a pair of two-out RBI singles. He is now 3 for 6 with three RBIs in limited action this year.

LIVE UPDATES — Arkansas vs Eastern Illinois

Pregame Tidbits

In addition to Stovall being back in the lineup, Caleb Cali is starting at third base and Parker Rowland is playing catcher.

It appears that backup shortstop Harold Coll is still out with back issues. He did not go through pregame warmups.

T-1st: Arkansas 0, Eastern Illinois 0

McEntire got off to a much needed solid start for Arkansas, getting Riley and DiLuca to fly out and then Ignoffo – who was 2 for 2 last night – grounded out to second.

B-1st: Arkansas 1, Eastern Illinois 0

After a pop out by Josenberger and strikeout by Stovall, Wegner hit a two-out double to right field. That set the stage for Slavens, who hit an opposite-field blooper to drive him in. EIU left fielder Cole Gober tried to throw him out at the plate, but it was wild. The E7 allowed Slavens to take second on the play. Bohrofen followed with a walk, but Diggs lined out to right. He made good contact, but it was a relatively easy play for the right fielder.

T-2nd: Arkansas 1, Eastern Illinois 0

It was another 1-2-3 inning for McEntire, who got Gober to ground out to second and Worcester to line out to second sandwiched between a strikeout of Rucker. It was a 12-pitch inning, so McEntire is up to 28 pitches.

B-2nd: Arkansas 3, Eastern Illinois 0

Caleb Cali drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a balk, but Rowland popped up in the infield and Bolton flied out to right. The latter of those looked like it may have given Cali a chance to tag up to third, but he misplayed it. It didn’t matter, though, because Josenberger launched a line drive over the wall in right for a two-run homer.

Stovall was HBP and Wegner walked to give the Razorbacks two more base runners, but Slavens flied out to right to end the inning.

T-3rd: Arkansas 3, Eastern Illinois 1

After not playing yesterday, Kolten Poorman leads off the third inning with a solo shot into the Hog Pen to get EIU on the board. Gallaher followed with a ground out to third and then Drumke grounded out to shortstop before a two-out walk by Riley. It looked like McEntire should have ended the inning with a strikeout, but his 0-2 pitch on the black was called a ball and DiLuca ended up hitting a blooper that fell in center. That put runners on the corners for the dangerous Ignoffo, but McEntire got him to look at strike three to end the inning.

B-3rd: Arkansas 4, Eastern Illinois 1

Bohrofen led off the third with a double to left, making him 3 for 3 in his last nine plate appearances. It seemed like he might get stranded when Diggs grounded out and Cali popped out, but Rowland delivered with an RBI double to the right field corner. Bolton grounded out to end the inning.

T-4th: Arkansas 4, Eastern Illinois 1

McEntire bounced back with a 1-2-3 frame, with nothing leaving the infield. Gober hit a soft liner to first, Rucker looked at strike three and Worcester popped up to second. It was a 12-pitch inning for McEntire, who’s at 67 for the game.

B-4th: Arkansas 4, Eastern Illinois 1

For the first time today, Eastern Illinois keeps Arkansas from scoring in the fourth inning. In fact, the Razorbacks went down in order. Josenberger grounded out and then Stovall and Wegner flied out.

T-5th: Arkansas 4, Eastern Illinois 1

With McEntire still on the mound, Poorman looked at strike three and Gallaher flied out to right. However, he walked Drumke – the 9-hole – on four pitches. That’s it for him, as he’s thrown 85 pitches. The new pitcher is Nebraska transfer right-hander Koty Frank. He induced a ground out by Riley to end the inning.

B-5th: Arkansas 4, Eastern Illinois 1

Despite a climbing pitch count, Conklin seems to have really settled in nicely. He struck out Slavens, got Bohrofen to fly out to center and Diggs to ground out. He’s retired seven straight, but he’s also up to 89 pitches. There is action in the EIU bullpen.

T-6th: Arkansas 4, Eastern Illinois 1

Frank got some help from his defense to start the sixth, as Bolton made a really nice play to charge a slow grounder by DiLuca and fire to first. Then Ignoffo hit a deep shot to right-center, only for Josenberger to track it down at the wall. He didn’t need any help with Gober because he struck him out.

B-6th: Arkansas 4, Eastern Illinois 1

After a pop out by Cali, Rowland drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. A ground out by Bolton moved him to third and brought up Josenberger with two outs. However, he flied out to deep center to end the inning.

T-7th: Arkansas 4, Eastern Illinois 2

Cade Zalewski, who started at DH yesterday, pinch hit for Rucker and promptly smoked a first-pitch homer into the left field bullpen. That pulls Eastern Illinois within 4-2. Frank bounced back by getting Worcester to fly out left and Poorman struck out. Gallaher did manage a single through the left side, but Drumke grounded out to end the inning and send us to the seventh-inning stretch.

B-7th: Arkansas 5, Eastern Illinois 2

After Stovall struck out looking to start the inning, Wegner sent a shot through the middle for a single. It was a very hard-hit ball. He then stole second, putting a runner in scoring position for Slavens. With him ahead in the count 3-0, EIU opted to intentional walk him. Bohrofen ripped a line drive off the base of the wall, but the runners had to hold up because it looked like it might be caught, so the bases are loaded.

Diggs struck out on a questionable check-swing call and then Arkansas used Ben McLaughlin as a pinch hitter for Cali. He worked the count full before drawing a bases-loaded walk to bring in an insurance run. Rowland struck out on three pitches to end the inning.

T-8th: Arkansas 5, Eastern Illinois 3

Now pitching for the Razorbacks: right-hander Brady Tygart. Riley led off the inning with a bloop single off him. DiLuca moved him into scoring position with a weak grounder to second on a half-swing. Ignoffo flied out to center, but Gober delivered a two-out RBI single to make it 5-3. Zalewski – who homered as a pinch hitter last inning – struck out on three pitches to end the eighth.

B-8th: Arkansas 10, Eastern Illinois 3

Bolton started the inning with a single through the left side. Josenberger followed with a sharp grounder that the third baseman appeared to stab, but it got by him for an infield single. That brought up Stovall, but he struck out for the third time.

Eastern Illinois makes a pitching change, bringing in right-hander Chaney Trout. He walked Wegner on four pitches to load the bases. Slavens followed with a 105 mph line drive into right for an RBI single that makes it 6-3. Bohrofen then drove in two more with a double, his third hit of the day.

Diggs hit a shallow fly ball to right for the second out, but McLaughlin delivered an RBI single through the left side to make it 9-3. Rowland also hit a single up the middle for another two-out RBI single. That prompts another pitching change for EIU. It’ll be right-hander Jackson Nichols. He got Bolton to ground out to end the inning.

T-9th: Arkansas 10, Eastern Illinois 3

With the score in hand, Dylan Carter comes in for the ninth. He faced five straight pinch hitters and induced a pop up and got a strikeout before allowing a two-out single to Jared Evans and walking Nick Lynch Jr. He finally ended it by getting a pop up in foul territory.

FINAL: Arkansas 10, Eastern Illinois 3

BOX SCORE – Arkansas vs Eastern Illinois

Starting Lineups — Arkansas vs Eastern Illinois

Eastern Illinois BaseballArkansas Baseball
1. Lincoln Riley – CF1. Tavian Josenberger – CF
2. Lucas DiLuca – 2B2. Peyton Stovall – 2B
3. Ryan Ignoffo – DH3. Jared Wegner – LF
4. Cole Gober – LF4. Brady Slavens – 1B
5. Nicholas Rucker – 1B5. Jace Bohrofen – RF
6. Chris Worcester – SS6. Kendall Diggs – DH
7. Kolten Poorman – 3B7. Caleb Cali – 3B
8. Ben Gallaher – C8. Parker Rowland – C
9. Dylan Drumke – RF9. John Bolton – SS
Pitching: So. RHP Tyler ConklinPitching: R-Jr. RHP Will McEntire

Arkansas Baseball Schedule This Week

Tuesday — Arkansas 9, Grambling 7

Friday — Arkansas 13, Eastern Illinois 2 (7 innings)

Saturday — vs Eastern Illinois — Noon CT (SECN+)

Sunday — vs Eastern Illinois — 1 p.m. CT (SECN+)

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