The No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks (28-3, 9-1 SEC) earned a 21-3 run-rule win Saturday evening over the Missouri Tigers (11-18, 0-10 SEC) at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
Junior starting left-handed pitcher Zach Root didn't have his best stuff, but still managed to work through five innings with only three hits and three earned runs allowed. The southpaw also struck out seven Tigers and walked two.
The Razorbacks only needed two pitchers out of the bullpen against Missouri in veteran right-handers Dylan Carter and Will McEntire. The duo combined for two hitless innings with four punchouts.
Arkansas had its way at the plate, as it finished 14-for-33 with four extra-base hits, 14 walks, four hit-by-pitches and only 10 strikeouts. First baseman Cam Kozeal led the way with a monster 4-for-5 day, while outfielder Logan Maxwell and third baseman Brent Iredale each added home runs.
After a 1-2-3 start to Zach Root's day in the top of the first, Arkansas took advantage of wild Missouri right-hander Kaden Jacobi with one single, two walks and two hit-by-pitches to take a 2-0 lead.
Both pitchers faced the minimum in the second inning, with Root upping his strikeout total to three.
Root started the top of the third with a strikeout, but after getting ahead 0-2 to the next batter, he allowed a double to left center. Root lost some control and proceeded to walk a Tiger before getting tagged with an RBI double. Missouri tied the game, 2-2, with an RBI groundout.
Logan Maxwell handed Arkansas its lead back, 3-2, with a leadoff solo shot to right field in the bottom of the third. It was Maxwell's ninth home run of the season. Two straight singles by Brent Iredale and Cam Kozeal put two runners on, and Ryder Helfrick drove one in with a double to left. The Hogs ended the inning up 4-2.
Missouri had a man reach base in the top of the fourth on a Root hit-by-pitch, but the Tigers couldn't scratch a run across. Arkansas, on the other hand, increased its lead to 6-2 in the latter half of the frame thanks to a two-run shot by Iredale. The Razorbacks' lead didn't stop growing there, as four straight singles made it 9-2 before the inning came to an end.
The Tigers tacked on a run in the top of the fifth off of Root, who let the first two Tigers reach via a walk and a double. His day ended with his seventh strikeout of the ballgame.
Cam Kozeal, who was 2-for-2 entering the bottom of the fifth, added a double to his resume which scored two more runs and increased Arkansas' lead to 11-3. Three more runs scored for the Razorbacks before the inning ended with Arkansas up, 14-3.
Righty Dylan carter took over on the mound for Root in the sixth, and he retired the side on just 11 pitches with two strikeouts.
If you thought Arkansas was done scoring, think again. The Razorbacks used six walks, two hit-by-pitches and two base hits to score seven more runs in the bottom of the sixth to go up 21-3.
Veteran right-hander Will McEntire came out of the bullpen for ...
