FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 2 Arkansas secured both ends of a Sunday afternoon doubleheader with University of Missouri baseball, pulling away for a 14-4 victory in the first game, before completing the sweep of the two clubs’ Southeastern Conference series with a 16-2 decision in the nightcap Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas erased an early 2-0 Missouri advantage in the opening contest, thanks in large part to a two-homer game from Charles Davalan. The sophomore outfielder belted a three-run shot in the second inning to hand the Razorbacks their first lead of the game, then launched a grand slam as part of a seven-run fourth that turned a 6-4 game into a nine-run margin for the home club.
Davalan finished 2-for-4 with seven RBIs, and Wehiwa Aloy added four hits to lead the Razorbacks’ 16-hit attack.
Mizzou (11-20, 0-12 SEC) put its first three hitters of the game on base, including hits by Keegan Knutson and Cameron Benson that handed the Tigers a 1-0 lead. With two out, Cayden Nicoletto laced a single to right to bring in Kaden Peer with the second MU run of the first.
Arkansas (30-3, 11-1 SEC) put its first run of the board in the home half of the first, using a single, a walk and a hit batsman to set up Cam Kozeal’s sacrifice fly. In the second, Davalan’s 10th home run of the season gave the Razorbacks a 4-2 edge.
The Tigers responded with a pair of runs in the third, using a walk and a Peer base hit – plus some aggressive baserunning – to even the score. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Peer broke from first on an apparent steal attempt, coaxing an errant throw by the Arkansas catcher that allowed Knutson to trot home from third. Mateo Serna brought home Peer from third with a perfectly-executed squeeze play, drawing Mizzou even at 4-4.
But Kozeal’s leadoff double sparked Arkansas’ go-ahead rally in the third, as RBI-singles from Kuhio and Wehiwa Aloy put the Razorbacks in front to stay. A trio of walks, plus hits by Kuhio Aloy and Ryder Helfrick, fueled the Razorback’s seven-run fourth. Helfrick’s one-out double plated the first run of the inning, before Justin Thomas Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk and Davalan lifted an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right-center field to give Arkansas an eight-run cushion.
Chris Patterson paced the Tigers’ attack, matching a career best with two hits, while Knutson singled, walked and scored a pair of runs.
Game two followed a similar pattern, with the Tigers jumping out to a 1-0 first-inning lead, courtesy of a leadoff walk to Knutson, who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before stealing third and coming home on a wild pitch.
Just as they did in the opener, the Razorbacks responded immediately, this time using a two-out rally to plate five runs. Kuhio Aloy’s two-run double into the left-field corner chased home the first two Arkansas runs, before Carson Boles powered a three-run homer over the wall in left-center for a 5-1 lead.
The Razorbacks relied on the long ball to extend their lead further over the next two innings, riding the first of Kozeal’s two homers – a two-run shot in the second – to a six-run cushion, before breaking the game open in the third. Kozeal would once again play the role of catalyst in the Razorbacks’ critical rally, driving a grand slam to right as part of another five-run outburst that made it a 12-2 game.
TIGER NOTEBOOK
- Missouri drops to 33-39-1 all-time vs. Arkansas.
- Patterson matched a two-hit effort vs. UAPB (April 1) as his Mizzou career high, finishing the first contest 2-for-3.
- Knutson scored four of Mizzou’s six runs on the afternoon, going a combined 2-for-5 with two walks, a double and a steal in the twin bill.
- Pierre Seals reached base safely in two of his three trips to the plate in game two, recording his first two steals as a Tiger.
- The Tigers swiped six bases on the afternoon, including 4-of-4 attempts in the second contest.
- In game two, Tony Neubeck made his first start on the mound since March 4, 2023 vs. Texas Southern.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will travel to Edwardsville, Ill., for a Tuesday evening non-conference contest against SIUE. First pitch from Roy E. Lee Field is slated for 6 p.m.
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