Arkansas drops Waco Super Regional opener

WACO, Texas – Baylor’s Logan Vick hit a pair of homers, while starting pitcher Trent Blank allowed just one run in eight innings to lead the fourth-ranked Bears to an 8-1 win over Arkansas in the opening game of the NCAA Waco Super Regional on Saturday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.

With the victory, Baylor takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. The series continues on Sunday with first pitch set for 3 p.m. The Razorbacks will start sophomore right hander Ryne Stanek (7-3, 2.84), while the Bears will counter with junior southpaw Josh Turley (9-1, 1.83). Sunday’s game will be televised on ESPNU and streamed online on ESPN3.com.

Blank (11-1) earned his 11th win of the season, allowing just one run on seven hits and striking out five in eight innings of work.

Arkansas starter DJ Baxendale (7-5) took the loss. The junior right hander allowed five runs on six hits and struck out four in four innings.

The Razorbacks were led at the plate by Dominic Ficociello, who recorded his team-high tying 20th multi-hit game of the season. Ficociello finished with a team-high three hits and drove in the only Arkansas run of the game. Tim Carver, Jacob Mahan, Matt Reynolds and Matt Vinson each had one hit.

Max Muncy and Cal Towey each had three hits to lead Baylor offensively. Towey drove in two runs in the win. Vick hit his third and fourth home runs of the season and drove in a game-high three runs. Josh Ludy also homered, his 16th round-tripper of the season.

Baylor struck first, scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning. Nathan Orf was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Vick then hit a two-run homer over the wall in right-center field to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.

Arkansas had a chance to cut into the lead in the top of the second. Ficociello led off the inning with a single to center and then advanced to second on a ground out to first by Brian Anderson. Bo Bigham then hit a grounder to short and the Baylor shortstop threw Ficociello out at third for the second out of the inning. A base hit to center by Vinson advanced Bigham to third to put runners at the corners with two out. Arkansas was unable to capitalize as Derrick Bleeker grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Bears added on to their lead with two runs in the bottom of the third. Ludy led off the frame with a homer over the left field fence, his team-leading 16th homer of the season. Muncy then doubled down the right field line. After a ground out to short by Dan Evatt, Towey doubled off the wall down the right field line, scoring Muncy from second base.

Baylor tacked on another run in the home half of the fourth when Vick hit his second homer of the game, a two-out solo homer over the right field fence.

The Bears stretched the lead to 6-0 with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Evatt singled to right with one out and advanced to third after a double to left-center by Towey. A wild pitch brought home Evatt with Baylor’s sixth run of the game.

Arkansas got on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the sixth. With one out, Reynolds lined a single to left field and came around to score from first after Ficociello ripped a double down the right field line.

Baylor answered back with a run in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Muncy doubled to right field and scored from second on a single to right field by Towey.

The Bears scored once in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Adam Toth singled into left field and advanced to second on a passed ball. A base hit to right by Orf scored Toth.