Arkansas Baseball Splits Doubleheader With New Mexico

FAYETTEVILLE – The 10th-ranked Arkansas baseball team split a doubleheader with New Mexico on Tuesday at Baum Stadium. The Razorbacks won the nightcap, 4-3, after dropping the opening game of the doubleheader, 3-0.

Arkansas is now 24-10 overall on the season, while New Mexico stands at 17-16 after the twinbill split.

Tyler Spoon led the Razorbacks at the plate in the doubleheader, going 5-for-7 with a RBI. Matt Vinson was 4-for-8 with a pair of runs scored, while Dominic Ficociello was on base six times during the two games, going 2-for-5 at the plate with four walks.

Game One Recap: Arkansas drops opener of twinbill, 3-0

New Mexico pitchers Drew Bridges and Josh Walker combined on six-hit shutout as the Lobos defeated Arkansas, 3-0, in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.

Tyler Spoon and Matt Vinson each had two hits to lead the Razorbacks at the plate. Jordan Farris and Dominic Ficociello also added one hit.

New Mexico was led offensively by Josh Melendez, who had three hits. Mitch Garver drove in a run and went 1-for-5, while Sam Haggerty was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.

Bridges (2-1) earned the win after allowing just three hits and striking out three in 5.1 innings. Walker picked up his sixth save, fanning two and giving up three hits in 3.2 innings.

Arkansas starter Tyler Wright (1-1) took the loss. Wright surrendered two unearned runs on three hits in two innings. Four Razorback relievers combined to allow an unearned run and strike out seven in seven innings.

The Lobos grabbed an early lead with a run in the top of the first. With two out and the bases loaded, a wild pitch from Wright allowed Sam Haggerty to score from third.

New Mexico added another run in the third on a one-out RBI ground out from Garver, scoring Haggerty from third.

The Lobos stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning. New Mexico had runners on first and second with nobody out and Peterson hit a ground ball to third that was misplayed by Jordan Farris for an error and went into left field, allowing Chase Harris to score from second.

Arkansas had its best chance to score in the opener in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Razorbacks loaded the bases with two out, but Michael Gunn hit into a fielder’s choice to second to end the inning and keep the score at 3-0.

Game Two Recap: Mahan’s walk-off single lifts Arkansas to doubleheader split

Arkansas senior Jacob Mahan broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the ninth with a two-out bases loaded RBI single to lift the Razorbacks to a 4-3 win in game two of Tuesday’s doubleheader.

With the game tied at three entering the bottom of the ninth, the Razorbacks put together a game-winning rally. With one out, Matt Vinson lifted a 2-2 pitch into left field for an opposite field single. A base hit to left by Tyler Spoon advanced Vinson to third and a fielding error by the left fielder allowed Spoon to take second. After an intentional walk to Dominic Ficociello, Brian Anderson struck out for the second out of the inning. Mahan, who had been battling a stomach bug for much of the day, stepped to the plate and sent a 1-1 pitch back up the middle and into center field, scoring Vinson from third and lifting Arkansas to a 4-3 win.

Spoon reached base all five times in game two, recording three hits and drawing two walks, while also driving in a run. Vinson scored a pair of runs and went 2-for-4 at the plate. Anderson hit his second homer of the season and went 1-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored.

Josh Melendez and Alex Real each had two hits to lead New Mexico in game two. Chase Harris, Jared Holley and DJ Peterson each drove in a run.

Arkansas reliever Chris Oliver (2-0) picked up the victory, striking out a pair in three hitless innings. New Mexico reliever Hobie McClain (1-1) was saddled with the loss. McClain gave up a run on three hits and struck out three in 2.1 innings.

New Mexico jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring a run in the top of the first and two runs in the top of the second. In the first, Peterson drove in a run with a RBI single. The two runs in the second scored on a RBI single by Holley and a sacrifice fly from Harris.

Arkansas started its comeback in the bottom of the second. With one out and runners on the corners, Eric Fisher hit a fielder’s choice to second, scoring Anderson from third.

The Razorbacks got another run back in the home half of the fourth when Anderson led off the inning with his second home run of the season, sending an 0-1 pitch into the Razorback bullpen.

Arkansas tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth. After Vinson drew a one-out walk, Spoon doubled to the left-center field alley, scoring Vinson from first base.

The game would remain tied until the bottom of the ninth when Mahan’s heroics gave the Razorbacks a 4-3 win.

Arkansas continues Southeastern Conference play this weekend, hosting No. 2 LSU in a three-game series. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. on Friday, 6:05 p.m. on Saturday and 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. The final two games of the series will be televised on Cox Sports Television.