White takes 2-0 lead in series
FAYETTEVILLE – The White team took a 2-0 series lead in the Arkansas baseball team’s annual Cardinal-White series on Monday afternoon to win a 14-inning, three hour, 50 minute marathon, 6-5, at Baum Stadium.
Falling behind early, strong pitching and timely hitting were the hallmarks of the White squad’s victory. Team White had 10 players record hits during the game but none were bigger than senior Chase Leavitt’s game-winning RBI single down the left field line to score freshman Jarrod McKinney for the third time in the game in the bottom of the 14th. The White team also recorded the series first home run, a two-run blast from junior catcher Thomas Hauskey which gave his team a lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Cardinal team got good starting pitching from junior transfer TJ Forrest as he threw five innings and did not allow a single hit until the fourth inning. Unfortunately for Forrest and the Cardinal squad, Forrest was slightly wild and allowed four walks and eventually five hits which led to four White runs. On the offensive end, the Cardinal team got great production from the top of its lineup with the first four hitters knocking out 10 hits, but little from the bottom half as the remainder of the team could only muster three.
The Cardinal team got off to a fast start with two runs in the top of the first inning making those in attendance believe that Monday’s game was going to be the opposite of Sunday’s series opener and be high scoring. Redshirt freshman Houston Slemp led off with a double down the left field line and scored on a RBI single by fellow redshirt freshman Tim Carver. A stolen base and single by sophomore Brett Eibner opened the door for sophomore Andy Wilkins’ sacrifice fly which scored Carver.
Team White tallied one in the bottom of the first on the strength of two walks to open the game and then a costly error which allowed a runner to cross the plate. Forrest would get out of the jam by inducing a double play and another ground out to end the threat.
Cardinal took a 3-1 lead in the fourth after another leadoff double, this one by senior Andrew Darr who scored on a groundout to the right side of the infield.
The White squad came back to tie the game at three in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Zack Cox knocked a two-out double down the right-field line to score two runs. White would take its first lead in the bottom of the sixth with Hauskey’s blast into the left-field bullpen.
Cardinal scratched out a pair of runs over the next two innings to tie the game at five, both on singles through the infield, one by Slemp and the other by Wilkins. Those runs would be the final runs scored for the next five innings as both team’s bullpens dominated the action. Both teams would have their chances to take the lead but good pitches and solid defense ended any and all threats until the 14th.
Arkansas’ relief pitchers which included juniors Mike Bolsinger and Stephen Richards, sophomore Dallas Keuchel and freshmen Cox, Jim Youngblood, Geoffrey Davenport and Zack Hall combined to throw 17.2 innings with 14 hits and just three runs and three walks.
The Cardinal-White series continues on Tuesday with the White team looking to take a commanding lead in the series. For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
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