FAYETTEVILLE –Arkansas touched Alabama for 11 hits while four Hog pitchers scattered 8 hits by the Tide as the home team completed a three game SEC sweep with a 7-4 win on Sunday afternoon.
The number 4 Razorbacks moved to 19-2 on the season and jumped to the top of the SEC West standings as the only unbeaten West team in conference play. They also ran their current wining streak to 9 games.
Alabama fell to 8-12 and 0-3 with the loss.
Arkansas reliever Nolan Sanburn (2-1) got the win, giving up a single run and striking out one batter over 2.2 innings.
Barrett Astin earned his sixth save of the season by setting down three batters in the 9th inning on 5 pitches. Sunday's save capped an impressive week for Astin, who had three saves and a win. He has now gone 20 ninings this season without allowing a run.
Cade Lynch retired all three batters he faced and recorded a strike out.
Arkansas starter Randall Fant alllowed three runs on seven hits while striking out four in 4.1 innings.
Alabama's Trey Pilkington was the loser giving up four runs, three of them earned on seven hits in an inning plus of work.
The Razorbacks took a quick lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Bosco and Dominic Ficociello hit back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners. Reynolds then grounded a base hit into left field to score Bosco and send Ficociello to third. A sacrifice fly to center field by Sam Bates brought home Ficociello to make the score 2-0. After a base hit by Bigham put runners at first and second, Vinson had a two-out RBI hit to center to score Arkansas’ third run of the inning.
Arkansas stretched the lead to 4-0 with a run in the bottom of the second. The Razorbacks loaded the bases with nobody out, but would only get the one run on Ficociello’s 6-4-3 double play.
Alabama broke through for the first time with a run in the top of the third. James Tullidge had a double to the left-center field alley to start the inning and then moved to third on a one-out single by Hunter Gregory. A base hit to right-center field by Jared Reaves scored Tullidge.
Arkansas responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning. A single by Bigham and a walk by Vinson began the inning. Jake Wise attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but the Alabama pitcher was able to throw out Bigham at third for the first out of the inning. Jacob Morris reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases with one out. Tim Carver then hit a chopper to the second baseman, who misplayed the ball, allowing Carver to reach and scoring both Vinson and Wise.
Alabama cut the lead back to three with two runs in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles by Andrew Miller and James Tullidge and a walk to Taylor Dugas loaded the bases with nobody out. Gregory brought in a run on a fielder’s choice groundout to third. Reaves then scored Tullidge on a sacrifice fly to center field to cut the lead to 6-3.
The Razorbacks scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Ficociello drew a lead off walk and Reynolds singled down the left field line to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Joe Serrano’s sacrifice bunt attempt was unsuccessful as Ficociello was retired at third for the first out of the inning. A walk to Bigham put a runner on every base. Vinson then grounded out to second to score Reynolds.
Alabama closed the scoring with a run in the top of the seventh. Miller began the inning with a double to left field and moved to third on a ground out by Tullidge. Dugas then grounded out to short to score Miller.
Miller and Tullidge each had a pair of hits for Alabama. Reaves drove in a pair of runs in the loss.
Arkansas is back in action on Tuesday and Wednesday as it closes its 10-game homestand against Nevada. First pitch for each game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
