Razorbacks Hammer Northern Colorado 14-6

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 6 Arkansas pounded out 14 runs on 15 hits to power past Northern Colorado 14-6 on Tuesday evening in front of 4,112 fans at Baum Stadium.

The win was the fourth straight for the Razorbacks to improve their record to 23-8 on the season, while the Bears fall to 7-16.

James Gilbert earned the win on the mound for his first victory of the season. He came on in the fifth inning and worked three scoreless while allowing three hits and walking three. Stephen Richards started allowed four runs – three earned – over two innings.

UNC starter Chris Reap took the loss to fall to 2-4 on the season after allowing eight runs on 11 hits in 3.1 innings. Sean Peery pitched effective out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit and fanning seven after Joe Sawicki was ejected to hitting Jacob Julius in the sixth inning.

Danny Hamblin led the Hogs’ 15-hit attack, going 3 for 4 with two home runs, a double and three RBI. Logan Forsythe also connected for a three-run home run and finished 2 for 4 with four RBI. He has now hit in four straight games and 24 of his last 26. Casey Coon was 2 for 4 with three RBI to extend his team leading total to 43. The Hogs hit four home runs on the evening to give them 39 for the season.

Four runs three hits in the bottom of the sixth inning extended the Arkansas’ lead to 14-6. The inning was highlighted by a two-run inside-the-park home run by Hamblin that hit off the right-center field fence and a two-RBI, two-out single by Coon. It was Hamblin’s fourth-career multiple-home run game and the second this season.

Hamblin connected for his first home run in the bottom half of the third inning to tie things up at 5-5. It moved him past Jeff King into second place in career home runs with No. 43. He connected for No. 44 later in the game. Hamblin has a team-high nine home run on the year.

Northern Colorado jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning with the help of a Razorback error in right field.

But the Hogs quickly answered with a RBI single off the bat of Logan Forsythe in the first inning. Arkansas then extended the lead to 4-1 in the second inning with two-run home run to deep right field by Jacob Julius to amend for his earlier error. Coon then plated a run with a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Bears clawed back with four runs in the third inning to take a 5-4 lead and chase Richards from the game.

A two-out RBI double by UNC catcher John Ray put the Bears back on top 6-5 in the top of the fourth inning. The ball was hit sharply to left field, but Coon took a bad angle and allowed it to get to the wall.

The see-saw affair once again took a turn for the Hogs in the bottom of the fourth inning on Forsythe’s mammoth three-run home run to center field. UA then tacked on two unearned runs in the fifth to take a 10-6 lead.

Zach Brockman, Cory Morales and Adam Symons led UNC with two hits each.

The series will wrap up with a 5:05 p.m. game at Baum Stadium on Wednesday.