FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – #2 Arkansas (7-0) had nine extra base hits to key an 11-4 victory over Southeast Missouri (2-5) Sunday in the series finale at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas swept SEMO in four games, with the final matchup shortened to five innings due to inclement weather.
Nine of the Razorbacks 12 hits went for extra bases. Three of those were home runs and six were doubles.
Back-to-back home runs by Cayden Wallace and Brady Slavens jumpstarted a three-run second inning for Arkansas. Casey Opitz also doubled and scored on a base hit by Jalen Battles to give the Razorbacks a 3-0 lead.
Down, 5-1, SEMO pulled within two runs in the top of the fourth inning on freshman
Ty Stauss' two-RBI single. Stauss knocked in both
Andrew Keck and
Jevon Mason who were at second and third following a double steal.
Arkansas, however, answered with six more runs in the bottom of the fourth. A two-run home run by Matt Goodheart, back-to-back doubles by Wallace and Slavens, an error and another double by Jalen Battles figured in the scoring as the Razorbacks stretched their lead to 11-3.
Austin Blazevic led off the fifth inning with a solo home run to right field for SEMO's final run of the game. It was the first round-tripper of the season for Blazevic.
Kevin Kopps (1-0) recorded his first win in relief. Kopps worked 1.1 innings with a strikeout.
Austin Williams (0-1) took the loss. Williams gave up three runs and four hits, and struck out one in 1.2 innings during his first career start.
SEMO had four hits, including one each by Blazevic,
Andrew Keck,
Lincoln Andrews and Stauss.
The Redhawks also had five stolen bases with Keck and Mason swiping two apiece.
SEMO plays host to Illinois State in its home-opening four-game series on Mar. 5-7.