FAYETTEVILLE -- No. 6 Arkansas jumped on Stetson early Friday and then cruised to a 7-1 win at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The game was moved up five hours due to the threat of heavy rain in the area. Gabe Gaeckle (2-1) worked six shutout innings to get the win. Arkansas gave him run support in the first inning when four runs crossed the plate. The first seven Arkansas hitters all reached base in the inning.
Damian Ruiz led off with a single, but was out at second base. Ryder Helfrick reached on an error. Camden Kozeal then doubled to plate Helfrick. Kuhio Aloy then singled to right field to allow Kozeal to get home. Zack Stewart, the only one of nine hitters for Arkansas to not get a hit in the game, flied out to center field for out two. Maika Niu then doubled to plate Aloy. TJ Pompey singled getting Niu home, but he was also thrown out at second base to end the inning.
Dave Van Horn appealed both outs at second, but lost both leaving the Razorbacks without any chances for a review later in the game. The Hogs didn't score again until the bottom of the fifth.
Niu walked to start the fifth. Reese Robinett and Pompey followed with singles to load the bases with no outs. Carson Brumbaugh then lifted a sacrifice fly to score Niu. After Ruiz made the second out, Helfrick and Kozeal followed with RBI singles.
In his last start before SEC play next Friday, Gaeckle allowed five hits, walked one and struck out six while throwing 99 pitches. He was pretty much in control the entire game and credited Helfrick for calling an outstanding game at catcher.
"I was mixing up all my pitches," Gaeckle said. "Whatever Ryder called. My fast ball and change-up was good. I was battling some with my slider."
Since the slider wasn't as sharp as usual, Gaeckle admitted to leaning more on his curve.
"I could go to the curve to get back into the count," Gaeckle said.
In three of his six innings of work Gaeckle stranded a Stetson runner at third base to get out of the inning.
"My main goal is the scoreboard," Gaeckle said. "In my first two years here I had a lot of experience with that so I know how to navigate it."
Ruiz, Helfrick, Kozeal, Aloy and Pompey each had two hits to lead the Hogs attack. Brumbaugh, Robinett and Niu added one hit each. Kozeal plated two runners. Helfrick, Niu, Aloy, Pompey and Brumbaugh each had one RBI.
Parker Coil pitched the seventh allowing two hits and one run. He struck out three. Mark Brissey and Jackson Kircher each worked one scoreless inning. Kircher did allow one hit, walked one and fanned a pair. The only base runner against Brissey was on a Brumbaugh error.
The Razorbacks had three errors on the day. Pompey and Helfrick also had errors in addition to the one by Brumbaugh.
Stetson used four pitchers on the day. Starter Zane Coppersmith (1-2) starter and only faced seven hitters before exiting. He took the loss allowing four hits, four runs, only one earned though and walked another hitter. Stetson committed one error in the inning.
James Hays, Andrew Lepine and Lathan Haywood also worked on the mound for Stetson. In four innings, Hays allowed eight hits, four runs, walked four and struck out three.
Arkansas (11-3) and Stetson (5-9) will play Game 2 of this series on Saturday at 2 p.m. Sunday's game slated to start at 1 p.m. and then noon on Monday.
