Razorbacks survive elimination game against Northeastern

No. 2 seed Arkansas (41-21, 17-13 SEC) survived a slugfest against No. 4 seed Northeastern (39-22, 22-8 CAA), 10-9 to advance to the regional final. 

In a game that the two teams combined for 25 hits, Arkansas needed 2 solo home runs off the bat of Zack Stewart and Reese Robinett to avoid disaster. Arkansas stretched an 8-6 lead into a 10-6 lead. Robinett hit his third home run in two games after a 2-run shot earlier in the game, part of a four-homer day for the Razorbacks.

With 18 innings of baseball potentially looming against Kansas, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn did everything he could not to go to Ethan McElvain out of the bullpen. With Steele Eaves already at 40 pitches heading into the ninth, Van Horn sent him out there, trying to get the final 3 outs. Eaves threw 26 more pitches, allowing 4 of the 6 hitters to reach and left with the tying run on first base and the winning run at the plate. His previous career-high in pitches was 50. 

Eaves gave way to Cooper Dossett, who induced a game-ending flyout to left off the bat of Tyler Harmony after allowing a walk. 

Arkansas’ bats came out cold for the third straight day. Northeastern starter Cooper Maher retired the first 10 hitters he faced before command eluded him, allowing Arkansas to put up a 3-spot in the fourth. Nolan Souza came through with a 2-out, 2-run single. Souza finished the day 3-for-5 with 5 RBIs.

Arkansas let a 4-1 lead slip when Northeastern put up 3 in the sixth off Parker Coil. Coil came in the fifth after 4 innings of 1-run ball from Tate McGuire. 

The Razorbacks responded with a pair of 2-out, 2-run home runs in the seventh by Souza and Robinett, to push the lead to 8-4, a lead that nearly slipped away with McElvain entrenched in the bullpen.

Van Horn saved McElvain to start the first of two potential games against Kansas. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday.

Live Updates:

No. 2 seed Arkansas (40-21, 17-13 SEC) looks to avoid being eliminated in the regional round for the third time in the past four seasons against the No.4 seed Northeastern Huskies (39-21, 22-8 CAA) in the Lawrence Regional.

The Razorbacks dropped the 1-0 game 5-3 against Kansas and will now have to get through at least 18 innings worth of pitching if they are to keep their season alive. Northeastern kept its season alive after dumping Missouri State out of the tournament with a 5-1 win. Arkansas turns to righty Tate McGuire (1-1, 5.20 ERA) while Northeastern counters with righty Cooper Maher (6-1, 3.52 ERA).   

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Starting Lineups:

Arkansas:

LF Damian Ruiz
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
RF Zack Stewart
2B Nolan Souza
CF Maika Niu
1B Reese Robinett
3B TJ Pompey
RF Christian Turner
RHP Tate McGuire

Northeastern:

3B Tyler Harmony
RF Carmelo Musacchia
CF Ryan Gerety
DH Matt Brinker
1B AJ Aschettino
2B Charlie Criscola
C Cooper Tarantino
SS Henry DiGiorgio
LF Carter Bentley
RHP Cooper Maher

Bottom 9th:

• Gerety singled to second
• Brinker struck out swinging, 1 out
• Gerety to second on defensive indifference
• Aschettino walked
• Criscola grounded into a fielder’s choice, Aschentino out at second, first to short, 2 outs, Gerety to third
• Criscola to second on indifference
• Will Fosberg replaced Tarantino
• Fosberg doubled to right, Gerety scored, Criscola scored, Arkansas 10, Northeastern 8
• DiGiorgio singled to left, Fosberg scored, Arkansas 10, Northeastern 9
• Cooper Dossett replaced Eaves
• Bentley walked, DiGiorgio to second
• Harmony flied out to left, 3 outs

Top 9th:

• Andrew Wertz replaced McSweeney
• Stewart homered to left, Arkansas 9, Northeastern 6
• Souza flied out to center, 1 out
• Niu struck out swinging, 2 outs
• Robinett homered to center, Arkansas 10, Northeastern 6
• Pompey struck out swinging, 3 outs

Bottom 8th:

• DiGiorgio grounded out to second, 1 out
• Bentley hit by a pitch
• Harmony grounded into a fielder’s choice, Bentley out at second, second to short, 2 outs
• Musacchia struck out swinging, 3 outs

Top 8th:

• Turner walked
• David McSweeney replaced Hauser
• Ruiz out at first, pitcher to first, sacrifice, Turner to second, 1 out
• Kozeal hit by a pitch
• Helfrick grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Kozeal out at second, 3 outs

Bottom 7th:

• Musacchia grounded out to short, 1 out
• Gerety grounded out to the pitcher, 2 outs
• Brinker singled to right
• Aschettino homered to left, Brinker scored, Arkansas 8, Northeastern 6
• Criscola singled to right
• Criscola stole second
• Tarantino struck out swinging, 3 outs

Top 7th:

• Kozeal singled to first
• Helfrick flied out to center, 1 out
• Stewart struck out looking, 2 outs
• Souza homered to left, Kozeal scored, Arkansas 6, Northeastern 4
• Niu singled to left
• Niu stole second
• Robinett homered to right, Niu scored, Arkansas 8, Northeastern 4
• Joseph Hauser replaced Mahoney
• Pompey hit by a pitch
• Pompey out at second, caught stealing, catcher to short, 3 outs

Bottom 6th:

• Gerety struck out looking, 1 out
• Brinker homered to center, Arkansas 4, Northeastern 2
• Aschettino walked
• Criscola struck out swinging, 2 outs
• Tarantino reached on a fielding error by a third baseman, Aschettino to second
• DiGiorgio singled to center, Aschettino scored, Tarantino to second, Arkansas 4, Northeastern 3
• Steele Eaves replaced Coil
• Bentley singled to left, Tarantino scored, DiGiorgio to second, Arkansas 4, Northeastern 4
• Harmony grounded out to the pitcher, 3 outs

Top 6th:

• Tom Mahoney replaced Maher
• Niu walked
• Robinett lined out to second, 1 out
• Niu stole second
• Pompey hit by a pitch
• Turner reached on a fielder’s choice, Turner reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, Niu to third, Pompey to second
• Ruiz grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Turner out at second, 3 outs

Bottom 5th:

• Parker Coil replaced McGuire
• DiGiorgio grounded out to short, 1 out
• Bentley flied out to right, 2 outs
• Harmony singled to left
• Musacchia grounded out to the pitcher, 3 outs

Top 5th:

• Turner singled to third
• Ruiz grounded out to short, Turner to second, 1 out
• Kozeal hit by a pitch
• Helfrick flied out to center, Turner to third, 2 outs
• Stewart walked, Kozeal to second
• Souza singled to left, Turner scored, Kozeal out at home, left to catcher, Arkansas 4, Northeastern 1, 3 outs

Bottom 4th:

• Musacchia flied out to center, 1 out
• Gerety singled to right
• Brinker flied out to left, 2 outs
• Aschettino singled to center, Gerety to third
• Criscola reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, Gerety scored, Aschettino to third, Arkansas 3, Northeastern 1
• Tarantino fouled out to first, 3 outs

Top 4th:

• Ruiz flied out to center, 1 out
• Kozeal reached on a throwing error by the third baseman
• Helfrick singled to left, Kozeal to second
• Stewart walked, Kozeal to third, Helfrick to second
• Souza singled to center, Helfrick scored, Kozeal scored, Stewart to third, Arkansas 2, Northeastern 0
• Niu struck out looking, 2 outs
• Robinett singled to right, Stewart scored, Souza to third, Arkansas 3, Northeastern 0
• Pompey grounded into a fielder’s choice, short to second, Robinett out at second, 3 outs

Bottom 3rd:

• DiGiorgio struck out looking, 1 out
• Bentley grounded out to short, 2 outs
• Harmony flied out to right, 3 outs

Top 3rd:

• Robinett struck out swinging, 1 out
• Pompey flied out to right, 2 outs
• Turner struck out swinging, 3 outs

Arkansas is 2-for-26 the first time through the order in all 3 games combined with no extra base hits and 10 strikeouts.

Bottom 2nd:

• Aschettino singled to center
• Criscola struck out swinging, 1 out
• Tarantino flied out to right, 2 outs
• Aschettino caught stealing, catcher to short, 3 outs

Top 2nd:

• Stewart grounded out to second, 1 out
• Souza grounded out to first, 2 outs
• Niu struck out swinging, 3 outs

Bottom 1st:

• Harmony singled to left
• Musacchia popped up to short, 1 out
• Gerety struck out looking, Harmony stole second 2 outs
• Brinker flied out to right, 3 outs

Top 1st:

• Ruiz struck out swinging, 1 out
• Kozeal grounded out to short, 2 outs
• Helfrick struck out swinging, 3 outs