Arkansas Completes Sweep of Siena; Murphree Homers Again

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas completed the three-game sweep of Siena on Sunday afternoon with a 10-4 win in front of 3,511 fans at Baum Stadium, but Aaron Murphree continued to be the story as the senior blasted his 12th home run of the season and his eighth of the week.

Murphree cleared the bases in the bottom of the first inning with a screaming three-run home run into the HogPen beyond the left-field wall. He has now homered in a school-record six-straight games, compiling 10 home runs during those six games with a .542 batting average, 19 RBI, 16 runs scored and a 1.792 slugging percentage.

Murphree is now hitting .447 on the season with 12 home runs, 28 RBI, four doubles, 20 runs scored while slugging 1.298 with a.519 on-base percentage.

The Razorbacks improved their record to 11-1 on the season and ran their season-best winning streak to six games. Arkansas travels to top-ranked Arizona State for a two-game midweek series starting Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Siena falls to 1-9 on the season.

“I was actually disappointed with the second inning on,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “We were swinging at bad pitches and after we hit that second home run and went up 8-1, I thought we were playing a little sloppy. Overall, though, for the weekend I thought we played great baseball and it’s good to get the series sweep.”

Shaun Seibert (1-0) earned his first win on the mound in his longest start of the season. He pitched four innings and allowed just one first inning run on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He left the game after reaching his pitch limit as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

“Shaun [Siebert] had some great innings today,” Van Horn said. “He was throwing the ball hard and was throwing good breaking balls. We need him with his experience, especially with SEC play starting up.”

Casey Coon connected for his first home run of the season with a three-run home run to left-center field in the fourth inning. The home run gave the Razorbacks an 8-1 lead.

The Razorbacks’ added two runs in the seventh inning on back-to-back doubles from Scott Lyons and Ryan Cisterna. Cisterna’s double into the left-center field gap plated both runs.

Siena got two runs back in the top of the eighth off Travis Hill, who struggled to find the plate. Hill walked the leadoff hitter and after giving up a single, walked the bases loaded and plunked the next batter to force in a run. Don Dipetta then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. Hill then retired the next two hitters before uncorking a wild pitch cutting the UA lead to 10-4.

Lyons was the lone Razorback with multiple hits on Sunday, going 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. He is now 3 for 4 after opening the season with a 0-for-20 skid.

Download: Siena – 3.9. – AR12.pdf