1 day Ago
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — By the time Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn intentionally walked Jace LaViolette with a runner on third and one out in the bottom of the seventh, the Texas A&M slugger had already hit two homers in the Aggies' 9-2 win over the No. 2 Razorbacks in the series finale.
It was LaViolette's third and fourth homer of the series. Slotted at No. 7 overall in Baseball America's latest mock draft, the junior center fielder showed his raw power with the bat.
He homered off the scoreboard against starter Landon Beidelschies in the first. In the fifth with the two teams locked in a 1-1 pitcher's duel between Beidelschies and Texas A&M starter Myles Patton, LaViolette struck again with a go-ahead two-run homer to left field. The homer came off Aiden Jimenez, who gave up his first homer of the season after going the first 24 2/3 innings without allowing a long ball.
In six career games at Baum-Walker Stadium, LaViolette is 9-for-22 (.409) with five homers and nine runs batted in. Outside of the homer, Beidelschies was sharp in four innings of work, striking out four on just 73 pitches.
After scoring 11 runs in the first game of the doubleheader, the Razorback bats went cold as the sunset over Baum-Walker. The Hogs managed just two runs on two sac flies, one in the third and one in the fifth. The Razorbacks were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Mother nature was not on Arkansas' side. Jimenez, who hadn't pitched in the first two games of the series had his outing cut short at just 28 pitches due to a lightning delay. Before the top of the seventh, lightning within 8 miles of the stadium halted play for 31 minutes.
When play resumed just past 9 p.m. it was Cole Gibler that took over on the mound.
He faced just two hitters and failed to record an out. Ben Royo led off the inning with a solo homer before Jamal George laced a double off the wall. Carson Wiggins didn't fare much better as Texas A&M scored three in the seventh and three more in the ninth to extend the lead to 9-2.
The tying run never got to the plate after play resumed from the weather delay. Arkansas will look to regain its footing with a pair of in-state midweek games against Arkansas-Little Rock. The first game of the series is scheduled for 6:30 p.
m. Tuesday and will be streamed on SEC+. HOGS FEED:.
