By Otis Kirk
No. 6 Arkansas made its lone appearance in North Little Rock this season and it won't be a game they choose to remember with Lipscomb defeating the Hogs 8-6 in 11 innings.
Lipscomb (24-21) was 0-8 against SEC teams this season before Tuesday night's win at Dickey-Stephens Park. The Razorbacks rallied in the bottom of the eighth for three runs to tie it at 6, but Lipscomb scored two runs in the top of the 11th against Ben McLaughlin to gain the win. The Hogs went down in order in bottom of the 11th. Dave Van Horn wasn't pleased with the performance of his team.
"Well, even if we would have won the game, we didn’t play good," Van Horn said. "We didn’t play good at all. Really, in any phase of the game — we didn’t pitch good, we didn’t field good, we did not drive in runs. Defensively, we kicked a couple balls, made bad a bad throw. I mean, overall it was probably one of our worst games of the year, honestly."
The Hogs only had five hits and committed two errors. It appeared they were off and running in the bottom of the first when Harold Coll hit a three-run home run. But Lipscomb scored one in the top of the third, two in the fourth and then three in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead.
One positive for Arkansas was the performance of former Bryant right-hander Austin Ledbetter who gave the Hogs four innings allowing only three hits and no runs.
"This was his best outing," Van Horn said. "I mean, there were a couple of positives, if you’re asking about positives. Ledbetter, he pitched really well. It’s the best he’s thrown in a while. It was good to see Fitzpatrick come into the game there and spin that slider in there against that lefty, as well. Those were a couple of the bright spots."
Ledbetter was left off the roster against Texas A&M last weekend. Did that serve as motivation for him?
"Yeah, no doubt," Van Horn said. "You know, you've got to get better. You can't stay the same. You go backwards a bit. You've got to get better each month, each year. Hopefully, he'll continue to get better."
Ledbetter was asked if he was mad to be left off the roster last weekend?
"Yeah, it got to me a little bit," Ledbetter said. "I just always want to be there for my team and I know I’m good enough to go out there and compete with any team in the country."
Being from Bryant, Ledbetter talked about what it was like to play a game close to home and pitch so well.
"It means a lot," Ledbetter said. "I had a lot of friends and family come out tonight, and I just tried to go out there and just do what I can do. Came in 6-3, and I just tried to keep us in the game."
The Hogs appeared set to lose without extra innings, but exploded in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game. McLaughlin doubled to start the inning. Jayson Jones and Hudson Polk walked. Brady Slavens, pinch hitting for John Bolton, walked to force in a run. Jace Bohrofen was hit by a pitch to force in a run as well. Then McLaughlin scored from third on a wild pitch.
Arkansas used nine pitchers in the game with McLaughlin (0-1) taking the loss. Lipscomb used six pitchers with the final one, Hayden Frank (2-1) pitching 3.1 innings to take the win.
Arkansas will now head to Starkville for a three-game SEC series. Arkansas (33-12, 14-7) and Mississippi State (24-20, 6-15) will play Friday night at 6 p.m., the same time Saturday and then 1 p.m. on Sunday. Saturday's game will be on ESPN2 while the others on SEC Network+.