Razorback senior right fielder Chris Lanzilli (#18) from Stoneham, MA is greeted at home plate by his teammates after his three run homer in the top of the ninth inning against OSU Saturday night at O'Brate Stadium in Stillwater, OK.

By Otis Kirk

In what may be the wildest baseball game all season, Arkansas scored 15 runs in the final three innings to take a 20-12 victory over Oklahoma State in the finals of the winner's bracket at the Stillwater Regional.

The game featured a little bit of everything. The two teams combined for nine home runs, 16 combined walks and nine hit batters. Each team sent seven pitchers to the mound. Brady Tygart (3-3) worked 1.2 innings, allowed one hit, two runs, walked three and struck out one to pick up the win. Oklahoma State's Roman Phansalkar (6-3) took the loss. Dave Van Horn was almost speechless after the game.

"That was a long game," Van Horn said. "I mean, I don’t know what to say really. It was a great effort by both teams."

Van Horn praised the Razorback hitters who had seven home runs and 16 hits for the the game.

"I thought our guys really did a good job at the plate," Van Horn said. "Taking some close pitches, working the count, getting hit by pitches. Just doing anything they could to help the team getting on base.

"The big inning to me, I think they scored three runs in the previous inning in the bottom of the sixth. I think the top of the seventh, is that when we hit the solo and then the two-run home with two outs. That was huge. We were running out of outs, and all of a sudden we’re only down two runs again. Then obviously the eighth inning, we were just extremely patient. We took advantage of some things. Jalen had the big swing, the grand slam there, that really gave us a cushion."

Oklahoma State led 10-5 after six innings and appeared to be on the verge of blowing the Razorbacks out. But Arkansas had other plans. In the top of the seventh, Michael Turner hit a solo home run. Chris Lanzilli followed with a double and then Robert Moore hit his second home run of the game to pull the Razorbacks to within 10-8.

But it was the top of the eighth that proved to be the undoing for the host Cowboys. Peyton Stovall started off the inning with a single to left field. Then Zack Gregory and Braydon Webb were hit with pitches to load the bases. Brady Slavens fanned for the first out of the inning, Cayden Wallace then drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Stovall. Turner also walked to force in a run with Gregory crossing the plate. Lanzilli was hit by a pitch allowing Webb to score and put the Hogs up 11-10 with only one out. Moore then walked allowing Wallace to score. Jalen Battles then hit a grand slam to give the Razorbacks a 16-10 lead. Battles talked about the grand slam.

"I was looking for a fastball first pitch, and I mean, once I hit it, I kind of blacked out," Van Horn said. "Last year, La. Tech, same thing. I really don’t remember it. I hit it, and I just blacked out. It felt good off the bat … It was right down the middle. I didn’t miss it."

Moore talked about the comeback and Battles bomb.

"They went at us with their best guys, and we had some great at-bats," Moore said. "Guys not chasing his pitch. Then Jalen doing that was probably my favorite moment as a Razorback."

Oklahoma State battled back to get two runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning. Caeden Trenkle walked to start the inning. Second baseman Roc Riggio then flied out to Webb in center field. It was his first out in six at bats. Zach Ehrhard then was hit by a pitch. Jake Thompson grounded out to Wallace for the second out of the inning. Pinch hitter Brett Brown then singled to left field to pull the Cowboys to within 16-12.

In the top of the ninth, Slavens walked, Wallace struck out and then Turner was hit by a pitch. Lanzilli then hit one over the fence for a 19-12 advantage. Moore was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a single by Stovall to put the Hogs up by eight heading to bottom half of inning.

Will McEntire came in with two outs and one on in the bottom of the eighth. He retired the only batter he faced in the eight and then worked a perfect ninth. He struck out two of the four hitters he faced. Van Horn felt very comfortable going to McEntire to close out the game.

"I thought he was great," Van Horn said. "One reason we wanted to get the ball to him is because he’s proven that he’s just going to be around the plate with everything — fastball, cutter, slider, whatever you want to call it. That what he did, came in and got that last out in the eighth — it was hit pretty good — and then he came out and just really threw the ball well there in the ninth. It was good to see. Proud of him because we hadn’t brought him in out of the pen. He’s started an inning here and there, but what I mean ‘out of the pen,’ in the middle of an inning, with an inning still going, so came in and did a nice job."

By winning Saturday night, Arkansas (40-18) now will advance to the finals with either Oklahoma State or Missouri State having to beat them twice. Those two teams will play at noon on Sunday with the loser eliminated and the winner facing the Razorbacks at 6 p.m. The Razorbacks will likely start Jaxon Wiggins on Sunday night.

"I'm sure Wiggins is chomping at the bit to get in the game," Van Horn said. "He hadn't pitched yet this weekend. So I don't think it matters where he's from. He's just ready to pitch."

Missouri State trailed Grand Canyon 7-3 entering the ninth inning. Missouri State scored five runs in the top of the ninth then held on to get the 8-7 victory.