Diamond Hogs lose in Tulsa
TULSA, Okla. – Scott Lyons had three hits for the Razorback baseball team but Arkansas received little help on the mound as it dropped its Tuesday night game to Oral Roberts, 12-2 at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Arkansas (19-16) scattered nine hits over the course of the game and while Oral Roberts (25-8) only had 13, the home team benefitted from seven walks and two hit batsmen dealt by the Arkansas pitching staff.
On the bright side for the Razorbacks, Lyons had his first three-hit game of the season in the loss and drove in both of Arkansas’ runs, one on ground-ball out and the other on a single to right-center field. Lyons has driven in runs in each of the last three games he has played. Catcher Ryan Cisterna and designated hitter Jeff Nutt each improved their hitting streaks to five and four games, respectively. Nutt was 6-10 in Arkansas’ series win at Florida last weekend and followed it up with a 1-4 day in Tulsa. Cisterna’s hitting streak has raised his average 36 points over the past five games.
The Razorbacks appeared to be in business early as Chase Leavitt and Ben Tschepikow hit a single and double, respectively to put runners on second and third with one out in the top of the first. A play at the plate and line drive later and the Golden Eagles were out of the inning with no runs scored.
Oral Roberts didn’t waste any time turning the tide of the game as they placed three on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning. A two out rally was started by an innocent walk, but two doubles and a single later and the Golden Hurricanes had the early lead.
Arkansas ran into trouble in the fifth when Oral Roberts opened the inning with a single. The Razorbacks looked sharp on the ensuing sacrifice bunt by getting the lead runner at second base for the first out, but a hit batter and walk later and the bases were loaded. Arkansas would go to the bullpen, but the tactic didn’t work out as the next batter singled to left to bring in two runs and make it a 5-0 game at the end of five innings.
The Razorback pitching staff struggled in the sixth as it continuously failed to find the strike zone. Walking four and hitting two others, the Golden Eagles batted around the order with the benefit of just one hit until a bases clearing double made it a six-run inning and blew the game wide open at 11-0.
Arkansas prevented its first shutout since the middle of the 2007 season when Jacob House opened the seventh inning with a double off the wall in left-center field. He would move to third on a deep fly ball to right-center by Ryan Cisterna and score on a ground ball out by Lyons.
The Razorbacks return to Baum Stadium on Wednesday night for another mid-week contest against Alcorn State. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit www.hogwired.com.
