UPDATE: The Razorbacks won the first game of the doubleheader 6-5 and are now trying to sweep the Arkansas vs Florida series, with first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT. It’ll be streamed on SEC Network-Plus.
Scroll below for updates from both of Saturday’s games.
Brady Tygart turned in a solid start for Arkansas, but it came down to some late-game drama, including a big two-run home run by Peyton Holt, who also turned in arguably the defensive play of the year to preserve a one-run lead in the eighth.
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The saying goes that April showers bring May flowers and, for the second weekend in a row, No. 2 Arkansas (36-6, 15-4 SEC) will be playing a doubleheader on Saturday.
This time, it’s against the Florida Gators (21-20, 8-11). After winning the Friday night game on the back of another terrific outing by Hagen Smith, the Razorbacks need to at least split today’s doubleheader to secure the series win. That’s what they did against South Carolina last weekend – win on Friday and split the doubleheader. And unlike that trip to Columbia, S.C., the Hogs will get to spend this long day at the ballpark in the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium.
The highly-touted matchup will feature one of the best teams in the nation facing off against a star-studded Florida team that, although it hasn’t quite lived up to lofty preseason expectations, still boasts a powerful lineup that can beat anybody on any given day. The Gators rank fourth nationally in home runs, and the headliner of that lineup is obviously the two-way phenom Jac Caglianone, who Arkansas was able to limit to just one base hit on Friday.
With all of this talent on one field, fans avoiding the miserable weather and opting to watch from home will hope to actually catch the Hogs in action today. The Friday night showdown between the two teams started on SEC Network-Plus after first pitch was moved up an hour to avoid the rain.
The game was supposed to switch over to the main SEC Network upon the completion of the softball matchup between Auburn and Ole Miss. Instead, that game went to 11 innings, with the Tigers winning 2-1. Because of the four additional innings of free softball, the game lasted over four hours – and Arkansas and Florida never became the nationally televised matchup that it should have been.
By the time softball was concluded, the Hogs had already secured the game. Instead of being treated to Hagen Smith vs. Jac Caglianone, viewers instead got to catch a riveting matchup between the two worst softball teams in the SEC with just 400 fans in attendance.
Ironically, there’s another softball game on TV immediately before the Razorbacks and Gators face off again. This time, it’s Georgia and Florida squaring off. Arkansas is allegedly going to be on ESPN2 as soon as that game wraps up. Here’s to hoping that actually happens this time around.
Luckily, it looks good so far. Georgia homered three times in the fifth inning to erase a one-run deficit and take a 9-4 lead. Barring a dramatic comeback by the Gators, Arkansas vs Florida should start on ESPN2.
Update: The key word there was should. Florida and Georgia are still going, and the Hogs will get started on ESPNU.
Update 2.0: The game is now on ESPN2, as scheduled.
(READ NEXT: Check out our in-depth recap from Game 1 of the Arkansas vs Florida series)
LIVE UPDATES — Arkansas vs Florida (doubleheader)
Pregame Tidbits (Game 3)
The Arkansas vs Florida finale is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. CT start. That means it’ll be about an hour and 15 minutes between games, which is more than the originally scheduled 45-minute break. There is some weather looming that could pop up.
As expected, right-hander Ben Bybee got the nod as Arkansas’ third starter of the series.
T-1st: Arkansas 0, Florida 0
Ben Bybee threw a perfect first inning, but there was some loud contact. First, Evans flied out at the wall in left. Then Caglianone absolutely annihilated a pitch (110 mph exit velocity), but it went foul. He ended up grounding out and then Shelton grounded out, too. Stovall made a nice play for the last out.
B-1st: Arkansas 0, Florida 0
The Razorbacks got a couple of base runners with one out thanks to a single by Sprague-Lott and walk by McLaughlin, but they were stranded on base when Aloy and Holt each flied out to center.
T-2nd: Arkansas 0, Florida 0
The top of the second was the Sprague-Lott inning. Arkansas’ third baseman caught a line drive by Heyman, fielded a grounder by Shelnut and then tracked down a pop up by Yost in foul territor. Bybee has thrown just 25 pitches in two innings.
B-2nd: Arkansas 1, Florida 0
Diggs was plunked to start the inning and that proved to be big. He was thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice grounder by Helfrick, but Helfrick eventually came around to score. He moved to second on Souza’s single, tagged up to third on Edmunson’s deep fly out to center and scored on Stovall’s two-out RBI single.
T-3rd: Florida 1, Arkansas 1
The lead didn’t last long. Kurland drew a leadoff walk to give the Gators their first base runner of the game and eventually stole second with one out. That set up an RBI single for Robertson, tying it up at 1-1. Robertson also stole second, but that’s where he was stranded. Evans and Shelton each struck out, sandwiched around yet another intentional walk of Caglianone.
B-3rd: Florida 1, Arkansas 1
McLaughlin beat the shift with a leadoff single and moved to second on a ground out by Aloy, but that’s where he was stranded.
T-4th: Florida 7, Arkansas 1
Bybee failed to record an out in the third inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Heyman and then Shelnut smoked a single up the middle with a 112 mph exit velocity. He hit it so hard that Heyman had to stop at third, so right-hander Koty Frank inherited runners on the corners and no outs.
Yost hit a grounder to first and McLaughlin fielded it cleanly before firing home for an easy out at the plate, as Heyman was running on contact. A walk by Kurland loaded the bases and Albert followed with an RBI single to put Florida back on top.
Frank got Robertson to look at strike three for the second out, but then walked Evans to bring in another run. More of a concern for Arkansas, though, is the fact that it meant Caglianone would bat with the bases loaded. Sure enough, he crushed a 404-foot grand slam to right-center. That blew the game open, giving Florida a six-run lead.
B-4th: Florida 7, Arkansas 3
The Hogs aren’t dead yet. With one out in the fourth, Souza singled and Edmunson walked before Stovall drove them in with a double to the wall in right-center. He has all three RBIs for the Razorbacks so far.
After a fly out to center by Sprague-Lott, McLaughlin extended the inning by drawing a walk. It looked like Aloy also drew a walk in a full count, but the pitch – which was out of the zone, according to TrackMan – was called a strike by home plate umpire JJ January. Van Horn protested the call and received a warning, but his frustrations were justified. Arkansas should have had the bases loaded for Holt, but instead, it ended the inning.
T-5th: Florida 7, Arkansas 3
Right-hander Dylan Carter came in to start the fifth. He worked around a leadoff walk to put a zero up on the board.
B-5th: Florida 7, Arkansas 3
Caglianone lasted only four innings on the mound, as right-hander Jake Clemente replaced him to start the fifth inning. He worked around a leadoff single by Holt and one-out walk by Helfrick. The Hogs strand two more runners.
T-6th: Florida 9, Arkansas 3
Carter struck out Albert to start the inning, but then walked Robertson before giving up a two-run homer to Evans. That pushes the Gators’ lead back out to six.
B-6th: Florida 9, Arkansas 4
The Razorbacks got one of those runs back with some help from Florida. Sprague-Lott reached on a one-out single, moved to second on a wild pitch and appeared to only be able to advance to third on a two-out single by Aloy, but the left fielder’s throw home got away from the catcher. The E7 scored Sprague-Lott and moved Aloy to second, but that’s where he was stranded.
T-7th: Florida 9, Arkansas 4
Right-hander Jake Faherty entered to pitch the seventh for Arkansas. He gave up a two-out single by Yost, but that was it.
B-7th: Florida 9, Arkansas 4
Left-hander Frank Menendez came in to pitch for the Gators and turned in their first 1-2-3 inning of the day.
T-8th: Florida 9, Arkansas 4
Faherty once again retired the first two batters he faced before allowing a two-out base runner. This time it was a walk of Evans, which brought up Caglianone. Incredibly, he blew a 95 mph fastball by him for strike three. It’s just the 15th time he’s struck out this season.
B-8th: Florida 9, Arkansas 5
Stovall’s third hit of the game is another double. He then scored on McLaughlin’s two-out RBI single. That prompted a pitching change, with right-hander Fisher Jameson coming out of the bullpen. Aloy swung at his first pitch and lined it into right, but the right fielder made a diving catch to rob him.
T-9th: Florida 9, Arkansas 5
Left-hander Parker Coil came in to pitch the ninth. He would have thrown a perfect inning, but an error by Aloy allowed a man to reach. Then, with two outs, Coil walked Yost and gave up a single to Kurland. The latter of those looked like it might score a run, but Edmunson came up firing and threw out the runner at the plate to end the inning.
B-9th: Florida 9, Arkansas 5
Holt grounded out to third and Diggs went down looking, but Ross Lovich, pinch hitting for Helfrick, extended the game with a single. Souza appeared to end it with a ground ball to second, but the second baseman’s throw was way wide and took the first baseman off the bag. The E4 extends the game again. During Edmunson’s at bat, a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Edmunson flied out to right to end the game.
FINAL – Florida 9, Arkansas 5
Starting Lineups (Game 3)
| Florida Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Ty Evans – RF | 1. Peyton Stovall – 2B |
| 2. Jac Caglianone – P | 2. Jared Sprague-Lott – 3B |
| 3. Colby Shelton – SS | 3. Ben McLaughlin – 1B |
| 4. Luke Heyman – C | 4. Wehiwa Aloy – SS |
| 5. Tyler Shelnut – 1B | 5. Peyton Holt – CF |
| 6. Hayden Yost – LF | 6. Kendall Diggs – RF |
| 7. Cade Kurland – 2B | 7. Ryder Helfrick – C |
| 8. Armando Albert – 3B | 8. Nolan Souza – DH |
| 9. Michael Robertson – CF | 9. Will Edmunson – LF |
| Pitching: LHP Jac Caglianone | Pitching: RHP Ben Bybee |
Pregame Tidbits (Game 2)
Arkansas will send Brady Tygart to the mound for the first part of the doubleheader. Tygart has occupied the Sunday starter role for the past few weekends, but will move back into his previous game two role with lefty Mason Molina nursing an ankle injury.
In the second half of today’s twin-billing, Arkansas will put the formidable “TBA” on the bump, whose identity will be revealed later this afternoon.
Florida will start Brandon Neely, a senior righty with a 6.81 ERA. Neely played a key role in the Gators’ run to the CWS Finals last season, and was arguably their best pitcher with a 3.58 ERA. This season, however, he hasn’t been able to replicate that magic. He’s still got great stuff, and will be a tough matchup for an Arkansas offense that has found itself struggling pretty often recently.
Arkansas’ lineup features a couple of changes: Jack Wagner is starting as the designated hitter and Parker Rowland is behind the dish at catcher.
T-1st: Florida 0, Arkansas 0
- Evans pops out into foul territory.
- Caglianone hits a hard ground ball through the shift for a base hit.
- Shelton strikes out swinging.
- Tygart strikes out Heyman to end the inning.
B-1st: Florida 0, Arkansas 0
- Stovall hits hard liner, but it’s directly at the right fielder.
- Sprague-Lott puts a grounder through the left side for a base hit.
- Aloy strikes out.
- McLaughlin knocks a single into right-center field, moving Sprague-Lott up to third.
- Holt draws a walk to load the bases.
- Early mound visit for Florida.
- Diggs flies out to left field to strand three runners.
T-2nd: Florida 0, Arkansas 0
- Shelnut strikes out.
- Kurland draws a walk on the payoff pitch.
- Tygart hits Yost with a breaking ball.
- Donay whiffs on a chase pitch for the K.
- The Gators pulled off a double steal without a throw, as Rowland bobbled the ball. Two runners in scoring position now.
- Tygart gets out of the jam as Robertson grounds out to third.
B-2nd: Florida 0, Arkansas 0
- Wagner flares out into no-man’s land, as Kurland comes over to make the catch.
- Rowland hits a fly ball, and Evans tracks it through the wind for the second out.
- Wilmsmeyer goes down looking to end the inning.
T-3rd: Florida 0, Arkansas 0
- Evans flies out to right field.
- Tygart foils Caglianone again, as he grounds out to first.
- Shelton draws a two-out walk.
- Aloy loses his hat fielding a tough ground ball, but he flips to second to retire the side.
B-3rd: Florida 0, Arkansas 1
- Stovall takes a pitch right on his foot…the same one he broke at the start of the season. He seems to be alright after this one, though.
- Sprague-Lott strikes out on a half-swing.
- Aloy grounds out.
- McLaughlin rips a double over the head of the right fielder. It tips off Evans’ glove, and Stovall comes in to score.
- Holt strikes out to end the inning.
- McLaughlin took third on a passed ball.
T-4th: Florida 0, Arkansas 1
- Shelnut lines out to second.
- Kurland chops it towards Aloy for out number two.
- Yost hammers one all the way to the right field wall, but Diggs fires a bullet back to the infield to hold him at first.
- Rowland guns down Yost on a steal attempt to end the inning.
B-4th: Florida 0, Arkansas 1
- Diggs draws a leadoff walk.
- Wagner strikes out on a check swing.
- Rowland flies out to left-center.
- Diggs steals second base during the AB. The throw beat him by a mile, but Shelton just dropped the ball.
- Wilmsmeyer pops out to end the inning.
T-5th: Florida 1, Arkansas 1
- Donay bloops a leadoff single into left field.
- Robertson executes a sacrifice bunt to move the runner up.
- Evans hits a chopper to the middle infield for the second out.
- Dave Van Horn opts to intentionally walk Caglianone. Runners on the corners now.
- A breaking ball in the dirt gets past Rowland, and the tying run comes home.
- Tygart strikes out Shelton on the very next pitch to end the inning.
B-5th: Florida 1, Arkansas 1
- Stovall pounds a 3-1 pitch into the ground towards second, and can’t beat out the throw.
- Sprague-Lott pokes a flare towards short that’s caught.
- Aloy strikes out swinging, as Neely retires the side in order on just 11 pitches.
T-6th: Florida 1, Arkansas 1
- Tygart strikes out Heyman on a check swing.
- Diggs makes a diving catch on the right field line on a tricky fly ball to get the second out.
- Kurland grounds out, and Tygart retires the side in order.
B-6th: Florida 1, Arkansas 1
- McLaughlin hits a tough grounder into the hole, but Heyman is barely able to keep his foot on the bag for the first out.
- Van Horn challenges the call, but it’s upheld.
- Neely plunks Holt with his 107th pitch of the day. Kevin O’Sullivan’s out of the dugout and his day is done.
- Now pitching for Florida: RHP Ryan Slater
- Final line on Brandon Neely: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
- Slater strikes out Diggs.
- Holt swipes second on the decisive pitch.
- Wagner is replaced by pinch hitter Nolan Souza, who grounds out up the middle.
T-7th: Florida 4, Arkansas 1
- Tygart issues a leadoff walk to Yost. Van Horn comes out of the dugout to take the ball.
- Now pitching for Arkansas: RHP Will McEntire
- Final line on Brady Tygart: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
- Sprague-Lott fields a hot grounder and gets the lead runner, but Donay beats the throw at first.
- Robertson singles to right to put runners on the corners.
- Evans hammers a ball down the left field line for a double. Donay comes in to score, Robertson to third.
- Caglianone is intentionally walked once again to load the bases.
- Shelton rips a first-pitch liner off McLaughlin’s glove for base hit. Every runner moves up one station.
- Matt Hobbs is out of the dugout to chat with McEntire.
- Heyman bloops a single into left field, scoring another run. Bases still loaded.
- McEntire strikes out Shelnut to record his first out.
- Kurland flies out to right to end the rough inning.
B-7th: Florida 4, Arkansas 6
- Rowland works the count full land and earns a leadoff walk.
- Hudson White enters as a pinch runner, with Ross Lovich pinch hitting for Wilmsmeyer.
- Slater gets Lovich looking for a K.
- Tricky play for Florida as Stovall’s chopper clips off Heyman’s glove, but Kurland recovers it for the out.
- Sprague-Lott pokes a single up the middle, and White comes in from second to score.
- Wehiwa Aloy blasts a two-run shot into the Hog Pen to tie the game.
- McLaughlin keeps the party going with a hard base knock. O’Sullivan makes a move to the bullpen, with a rowdy Hog Call going around the stadium.
- Now pitching for Florida: RHP Luke McNeillie
- Holt rips a two-run nuke into left field, and the Hogs have retaken the lead. You couldn’t even see that one land on the TV broadcast.
- Diggs goes down swinging to end the inning, but the damage has been done.
T-8th: Florida 5, Arkansas 6
- Now pitching for Arkansas: RHP Gage Wood
- Yost reaches base for a fourth time today on a ground ball off the glove of Aloy.
- Donay singles up the middle, Yost moves up to second.
- Robertson lays down a bunt. Wood makes the strange decision to go to third, and it’s an errant throw. Yost scampers home, and the other runners move up to second and third.
- That’s about as strange a strikeout as you’ll see. The pitch hit Evans in the hand, but he swung at it for the third strike. He’s not happy about it, to say the least.
- Caglianone is intentionally walked for the third time today. Bases are loaded.
- Now pitching for Arkansas: LHP Stone Hewlett
- Peyton Holt turns an incredible double play on a fly ball to center field. He pump fakes the runners, then makes the catch and throw home to preserve the lead.
B-8th: Florida 5, Arkansas 6
- Now pitching for Florida: LHP Cade Fisher
- Souza nearly beats the throw on a groundout to the pitcher, but he’s retired.
- White singles through the left side.
- Lovich’s sac-bunt moves the runner up.
- Stovall works the count full and draws a walk from a quality AB.
- Sprague-Lott hits a knuckling grounder to short that ends the inning.
T-9th: Florida 5, Arkansas 6
- Now pitching for Arkansas: RHP Cooper Dossett
- Dossett fools Heyman, who goes down looking on a looping breaking ball.
- Shelnut lines out to Aloy after a long AB. Florida down to its last out.
- Dossett issues a two-out walk to Kurland, which brings up the hot bat of Yost. Van Horn is out of the dugout to make a change.
- Now pitching for Arkansas: LHP Parker Coil
- Yost reaches for a fifth time on a single that moves Kurland up to second. It’ll be a one-and-done outing for Coil.
- Now pitching for Arkansas: RHP Christian Foutch
- Donay goes down swinging, and that’s the ball game. Arkansas hangs on by the skin of its teeth.
FINAL: Arkansas 6, Florida 5
Starting Lineups (Game 2)
| Florida Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Ty Evans – RF | 1. Peyton Stovall – 2B |
| 2. Jac Caglianone – DH | 2. Jared Sprague-Lott – 3B |
| 3. Colby Shelton – SS | 3. Wehiwa Aloy – SS |
| 4. Luke Heyman – 1B | 4. Ben McLaughlin – 1B |
| 5. Tyler Shelnut – 3B | 5. Peyton Holt – LF |
| 6. Cade Kurland – 2B | 6. Kendall Diggs – RF |
| 7. Hayden Yost – LF | 7. Jack Wagner – DH |
| 8. Brody Donay – C | 8. Parker Rowland – C |
| 9. Michael Robertson – CF | 9. Ty Wilmsmeyer – CF |
| Pitching: RHP Brandon Neely | Pitching: RHP Brady Tygart |
How to Watch Arkansas vs Florida (doubleheader)
Date: Saturday, April 27
Location: Baum-Walker Stadium (Fayetteville, Ark.)
First Pitch: Noon CT (45 minute break between games)
TV/Stream: ESPN2 / SEC Network-Plus
- Game 2: ESPN2
- Game 3: SECN+
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