Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - After one would be ninth-inning doubleplay thrown away then a game-ending doubleplay surviving a video review, the Arkansas Razorbacks used eight pitchers surviving the Grand Canyon University Antelopes, 10-9 Wednesday afternoon before 2,111 ticket scanned fans at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas’ survival completed a 2-game series sweep at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks beat GCU of the Western Athletic Conference , 6-1 Tuesday night and take an 11-5 record into their first SEC 3-game series Friday through Sunday at Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss.
The Antelopes, who have beaten such quality teams as Oklahoma State, Oregon, and Stanford, fall to 9-9.
Freshman lefty reliever Zack Morris of Cabot, replacing veteran Arkansas struggling starter Kevin Kopps in Wednesday’s second inning logged his first win.
Arkansas freshman Peyton Pallette of Benton recorded his first save, a 2-inning save following a 1-2-3 eighth with a precarious ninth. The ninth included two walks, shortstop Casey Martin’s 2-base throwing error after a forceout, and finally third baseman Jacob Nesbit to second baseman Robert Moore to first baseman Cole Austin DP close enough for SEC Office review of first base umpire Alex Ransom’s out call.
Because of his errant throw, shortstop Martin said the scary ninth inning “was on me,” but more accurately Wednesday’s win was on him.
After striking out four times for a personal 0 for 5 nightmare even as the Hogs won Tuesday night, Martin, 3 for 5 Wednesday with four RBI, hit a 3-run home run putting Arkansas up 3-2 after Juan Colato’s first-inning 2-run home run off Arkansas starter Kevin Kopps, beat out an infield RBI single during Arkansas’ 3-run second and sped a single into a double and scored during Arkansas’ 4-run sixth inning.
“He had a rough night last night,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “He’s learned how to shake it off. That doesn’t surprise me a bit on how it went for him today with four RBI and three hits. He had an opportunity to bounce back and he did it.
Designated hitter Matt Goodheart of Magnolia, 2 for 3 with three RBI including a home run leading off the sixth, and freshman second baseman Moore, 2 for 5 with a 2-run single, also swung big sticks that achieved Van Horn’s 700th Arkansas win coaching the Razorbacks since 2003.
Asked if No. 700 means much to him, Van Horn replied, “Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it’s better than 600. I appreciate it. It’s like I told the players after the game, they’re congratulating me and I’m congratulating them, telling them, ‘I didn’t play in any one of those games. You guys do it.’ I’ve had a lot of good teams and a lot of great coaches. Over time, things start to add up.”
Wednesday added up to more struggles for Kopps, the proven fourth-year junior and College World series but chased by 9-hole hitter Johnny Weaver’s second-inning home run after Colato’s clout in the 3-run first.
Morris came into a 3-3 game finishing the second’s last out and and throwing a scoreless third and fourth finishing up 6-3.
Van Horn complimented Morris’ work and said he would have pitched longer but for saving him for possible Sunday relief against Mississippi State.
GCU scored two in the fifth charged to Mark Adamiak before Beebe’s Marshall Denton finished the inning.
Jacob Burton got the last out relieving Denton in the sixth but seemed to lose his momentum as Arkansas batted through its long 4-run sixth. The Antelopes went through three Razorbacks relievers in their 4-run seventh that included a pivotal review of Arkansas left fielder Curtis Washington deemed not holding Brock Burton’s single long enough before it fell out of his glove after a long run.
Then came the ninth, and Pallette and the big doubleplay.
“I was happy for Pallette,” Van Horn said. “ I thought it was a great double play. It was a tough ball in the hole, wasn’t hit real hard. Nesbit did a nice job of staying down on the ball. I thought it might get under his glove because it was one of those funny little hops. He made a nice throw, and a really good turn by Robert. Just a little wide right over there. Really good stretch by our first baseman (Austin). He did a nice job keeping his foot on the bag.”
Pallette said he had no doubt the Hogs had turned two even during the review.
“When Nesbit got it and threw to second and I looked over to first I saw the runner was about halfway,” Pallette said. “I knew we had it then and I knew the game was in our hands and we won.”
For Pallette, determined from the get-go he would come from Benton to be a Razorbacks’ closer, it was a save he’ll forever save in his memory.
“Man, it was something special,” Pallette said. “That was the first time of me saving here and it was really an honor to come out on that mound and get that one for the Hogs.”
Grand Canyon…210 020 400 - 9 12 1
Arkansas……….330 004 00x -10 11 1
Barnes, Wynne (3), Hoskins (5), Hull (6), Scalzo (8) and Avitia; Kopps, Morris (2), Adamiak (5), Denton (5), Burton (6), E. Taylor (7), Trest (7), Pallette (8) and Opitz.
HR-Grand Canyon: Colato (5). Weaver (1). HR-Arkansas: Goodheart (3).
W-Morris (1-0). L-Barnes (2-1)