By Otis Kirk
No. 7 Arkansas has moved to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament with an 8-1 win over No. 2 Texas Friday evening in Hoover's Metropolitan Stadium.
Arkansas took control of the game early with three runs in the top of the first, but then received a huge scare in the bottom half of the inning when starter Hunter Dietz was hit on the foot with a 105-miles per hour line drive off the bat of Casey Borba. Dietz left the game at that point having thrown 21 pitches, but Dave Van Horn said during an interview with SEC Network during the game that x-rays were negative and while Dietz was sore he would apparently be fine.
Shortstop Camden Kozeal provided Arkansas with offensive spark with home runs in both the first and second innings. In the top of the first, Damian Ruiz was hit by a pitch from Texas starter Cody Howard (0-1). Kozeal followed that with a home run to put Arkansas up 2-0. The Hogs added another run when TJ Pompey doubled with two outs. Nolan Souza singled to center field to plate Pompey.
Then, in the top of the second, Reese Robinett walked with one out. Ruiz then singled to right field. Kozeal then hit a monster shot that traveled 450-feet to put the Razorbacks up 6-1. It's considered one of the longest home runs ever hit in the stadium. Dave Van Horn credited the second home run by Kozeal as the game changer calling it the longest home run he has seen at this tournament.
"I'm not sure it was coming down when it hit that speaker out there," Van Horn said. "It was stroked. It's hard to hit the ball out in dead center here and it just kept on going. That was a huge swing for us. We had just lost our starting pitcher. But that swing was a momentum changer in my opinion."
Kozeal now has 19 home runs for the season and knocked in five runs against the Longhorns. He is having a really good tournament and talked about what has been different for him.
"Just seeing the ball," Kozeal said. "We just want to keep playing. Just going up there, seeing the ball and helping the team out."
Kozeal said he enjoys playing in Metropolitan Stadium.
"I just think it's a cool stadium," Kozeal said. "It's fun to come here and play some teams you haven't played during the season. We hadn't played Texas. Got to see some new pitchers. Just go out there and have some fun. It's win or go home."
Texas has scored a run in the bottom of the first off Dietz. With one out, Carson Tinney walked. The Razorbacks just narrowly missed turning a double play when Anthony Pack Jr. just beat out a relay throw from Souza at first base. Tinney was out at second on the play. Dietz then walked Temo Becerra. Then Borba hit the shot off Dietz's foot that loaded the bases. Steele Eaves entered for Dietz and walked in Pack before getting out of the bases loaded jam.
Eaves and Gabe Gaeckle (4-3) were outstanding out of the bullpen for Arkansas. Eaves worked 2.1 innings allowing no runs, walked only the one hitter and fanned five. Gaeckle then pitched the final six innings to earn the win. He allowed three hits, walked one and struck out nine. Van Horn praised both relievers following the game.
"What a great job by Steele Eaves and Gabe Gaeckle," Van Horn said. "Just what a great job. When your starter takes one off the shin plus he was already sick. He was just going to give us one or two innings anyway. I found out he was sick about five minutes before the game started. Just a gutsy performance by our bullpen. They gave us a chance to rest."
Gaeckle talked about what went well for him against the Longhorns.
"All my pitches were strikes," Gaeckle said. "It's awesome to go out there and pitch with the lead."
The Hogs then finished out the scoring with two more runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, Pompey singled and stole second. Souza then singled moving Pompey to third. Maika Niu walked to load the bases. Carter Rutenbar, playing designated hitter for the injured Kuhio Aloy, then singled to plate Pompey. Robinett was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded allowing Souza to score.
Arkansas (39-19) will now face the winner of Friday night's No. 6 Auburn and No. 3 Texas A&M game at 3 p.m. Saturday in one semifinal. Georgia and Florida are set to meet at noon in the other semifinal. No. 1 Georgia advanced to the semifinals downing No. 8 Mississippi State 5-3 while No. 5 Florida blasted No. 3 Alabama 13-3. Both those games were on Thursday.
Texas used eight pitchers on the day. Howard started and lasted two innings took the loss. He allowed five hits, six runs, all earned, walked one and struck out five. He also hit a batter. Texas pitchers combined to hit three Arkansas hitters. The Razorbacks finished with the eight runs on 11 hits. Texas pitchers walked five but did fan 16 Hogs on the day.
"Texas is awfully good," Van Horn said. "Struck us out a lot."
Texas (40-13) is now set to host a regional in Austin. Coach Jim Schlossnagle was very complimentary of Arkansas following the game.
" First of all, congratulations to Arkansas," Schlossnagle said. "They played awesome. They beat us in every possible phase of the game. I hope Hunter Dietz is all right. He's a great pitcher and I wish him well.
"Beyond that, we just got off to a rough start. I thought Cody did a nice job of throwing strikes, but they obviously beat him up, especially with two strikes. The rest of the game we just got smothered up by their pitching, specifically Gaeckle. He's always pitched well against us. I was a part of recruiting him at my previous institution, and I know how good he is."
Arkansas' trio of pitchers combined to allow just one run on four hits, walked four and fanned 14 Longhorn hitters.
Saturday's game will be televised on the SEC Network.
