Hamblin Homers Again in Hogs? 5-3 Win
HONOLULU, Hawai’i – Danny Hamblin connected for his third home run of the tournament and ninth and 10th RBI to help No. 11 Arkansas knock off Texas-Arlington 5-3 on Friday afternoon in the First Hawai’i Title Rainbow Baseball Tournament at Les Murakami Stadium.
Shaun Seibert improved to 2-0 on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits in his second start of the 2006 season. He struck out five and walked two. Daryl Maday earned his second save of the season by recording the final four outs.
The Razorbacks are 12-1 on the season and 3-1 in the Rainbow Baseball Tournament.
UTA (4-10) starter Austin Bridges lasted 4.1 innings allowing five runs – four earned – on nine hits with two walks and no strikeouts. Nathan Long relieved Bridges and held the Hogs hitless over the final 3.2 innings.
Back-to-back doubles by Blake Parker and Brian Walker gave the Razorbacks a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning. Parker scalded a Bridges offering down the left-field line and Walker followed with a seed into the right-center field gap to score Parker.
In one of the most difficult stadiums in college baseball to hit a home run, Hamblin continued his long-ball tear with his third round-tripper of the tournament in the fifth inning. The two-run shot cleared the left-center field wall for his team-high 19 th and 20th RBI of the season, and extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Hamblin has four home runs this season.
Seibert got off to a rough start in the first inning giving up a base hit and issuing a walk to the first two hitters before Adam Moore continued his hitting tear with a RBI double to left-center field. David Newby then grounded out to second base to score Moore and stake the Mavericks to a 2-0 lead after the first half inning.
The Razorbacks struck back with a RBI single in the bottom of the first inning by freshman designated hitter Wayne Hrozek to pull within 2-1. Stephen Robison then ripped a two-out single in the second inning to tie the score at 2-2.
Texas-Arlington pulled within 5-3 with Moore’s third home run against Razorback pitching in two games. Moore hammered a James Gilbert offering over the left-field fence. Gilbert threw 2.2 strong innings, allowing just the one run on three hits.
Moore went 2 for 5 with two RBI and a run scored. Mavericks’ leadoff-man Daniel Rieder also collected two hits and scored a run in UTA’s eight-hit attack.
Chris Hollensworth and Horzek led the Hogs’ offense with two hits each. Hollensworth doubled twice to give him a team-high nine this season.
The Hogs face Texas-Arlington for the third time this week on Saturday at 2 p.m. from Les Murakami Stadium. The game was moved up four-and-a-half hours to accommodate the Hogs’ and Mavericks’ travel plans. Both teams return home on overnight flights Saturday evening. Arkansas then hosts Cal State-Northridge next weekend, March 10-12, at Baum Stadium before opening SEC play at Florida the following weekend.
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