LOS ANGELES (KFSM) – The Diamond Hogs hopes of back-to-back sweeps were spoiled when USC won in walk-off fashion in extra innings Saturday night.
Arkansas finished the series 2-1 after losing the final game 6-4 in ten innings.
Connor Noland started on the mound for Arkansas and lasted through four innings before Jacob Kostyshock took over. Noland finished with two runs, three hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Kostyshock retired his first nine batters.
Chase Bushor homered off of Noland in the bottom of the first for the first USC homerun of the series. The dinger also marked Noland’s first earned run this season.
Arkansas tied things up when Christian Franklin doubled down the line scoring Jacob Nesbit.
John Thomas hit a two-out single to center field to score Brady Shockey to give the Trojans a 2-1 lead.
The Diamond Hogs knotted things up in the seventh inning when Chris Clarke threw his first pitch which Christian Franklin drove up the middle to score Casey Opitz.
In the eighth inning, the defense struggled to get on the same page which worked in favor for USC. A fly ball dropped between Jack Kenley and Heston Kjerstad with two runners on and two outs. CJ Stubbs took advantage to double to right field and score Bushor as the Trojans retook the lead.
Arkansas changed the momentum in the ninth when Casey Opitz scored on a two-out passed ball.
USC was unable to respond, which took the game to extra innings. Arkansas tacked on another run off of a Dominic Fletcher solo homer in the tenth inning to lead 4-3.
In the bottom of the tenth, the Trojans had two outs and two strikes when Jamal O’Guinn’s single scored Tyler Pritchard from second base. That was all USC needed to get back on track.
The nail in the coffin came shortly after, when CJ Stubbs hit a two-run homerun for the walk-off win in ten innings – handing Arkansas their first loss of the season.
Arkansas will return to Baum-Walker on Wednesday to host Memphis. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 PM.
