The Arkansas baseball team faced its first real adversity on the season Saturday afternoon and handled it with style.
The Diamond Hogs scored five runs in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and beat Eastern Illinois, 8-3, improving to 5-0 on the year.
Arkansas got on the board first in the fifth inning when Andrew Benintendi drove in a run on a ground out to short. Joe Serrano added to that lead moments later by driving in Michael Bernal with a single to right.
The Hogs made it 3-0 when Serrano drove Bernal in again in the seventh inning with a base hit up the middle.
Farmington junior Chris Oliver pitched six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out four batters.
When Jackson Lowery came in to pitch in the eighth inning, Eastern Illinois made its come back, scoring three runs in that frame, tying the game.
The Hogs responded in the bottom half of the inning with five runs and two outs, starting with a Bernal RBI to right field, making the score 4-3. After a wild pitch, Arkansas extended the lead to 5-3.
Brian Anderson capped the inning off with a three-run home run, making it 8-3.
Michael Gunn was the winning pitcher coming in for relief of Lowery.
Arkansas goes for the sweep Sunday at 1:05 at Baum Stadium.