HOOVER, ALABAMA (KFSM) – The 23rd-ranked University of Arkansas baseball team picked up the team’s first SEC series sweep over Alabama with a 4-0 victory Saturday afternoon at the Hoover Met.
Keaton McKinney dominated on the mound Saturday, but the day belonged to National Player of the Year candidate Andrew Benintendi who continues to sizzle at the plate, adding two more hits, including his nation-leading 15th home run of the year in the sixth inning.
Benintendi became the first player in program history to hit 15 home runs and steal 20 bases in a season as he has accomplished the feat just 47 games into the year. Over the last 20 games, the sophomore from Cincinnati has raised his batting average 77 points and now leads the SEC at .386 on the year.
McKinney was equally impressive on the mound, tossing his second complete game in his last four starts with a two-out game shutout. He becomes the first Arkansas pitcher to record a complete-game shutout since Brett Eibner blanked No. 1 Georgia back in 2009.
The freshman set down the first eight Alabama hitters in the game and faced one over the minimum through the first four innings. McKinney worked perfect 1-2-3 frames in six of the nine innings and needed just 100 pitches to shutout the Crimson Tide.
The offense was all about Benintendi, as he laced an RBI single to right center in the third inning, belted a solo home run in the sixth and lifted a sacrifice fly to center in the eighth for a three RBI performance. Rick Nomura added an insurance run in the ninth with a solo homer as Arkansas cruised to a 4-0 victory. Clark Eagan finished with three hits at the top of the order
