FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the second time in its past three games, Arkansas baseball pulled away from its opponent for a run-rule victory.
The Razorbacks cruised past Eastern Illinois 13-2 on Friday, in the opener of their first weekend series at Baum-Walker Stadium this season.
The win marks the 800th of head coach Dave Van Horn's career at Arkansas.
Already leading 10-2 in the seventh inning, Kendall Diggs' three-run home run to center-field capped the evening for the Hogs by giving them a 10+run lead to bring the run-rule into effect.
Hagen Smith got the start on the mound for Arkansas and earned the win, going 4.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts, three hits and three walks on 97 pitches.
He got plenty of run support in the third inning.
The Razorbacks broke the game open by putting up six runs in the third inning. A bases loaded walk to Diggs opened the scoring in the inning. Jared Wegner continued his hot start to the season with a 2-RBI base hit to center, followed by an RBI base knock from Brady Slavens.
An RBI ground out made it 5-0 Arkansas, before Peyton Holt tacked on an RBI single to left to cap the six-run inning.
Cody Adcock came in the fifth inning in relief of Smith, and picked up a big strikeout of Nicholas Rucker to get out of a bases-loaded jam, keeping EIU off the board.
Holt added another RBI single the following inning, increasing the Hogs' lead to 7-0.
The Panthers pulled two runs back in the sixth, but Arkansas put up another six-run inning in the seventh to end the game.
The first three runs of the inning came thanks to some miscues from EIU--two errors and wild pitch.
Now at 10-2, two more runs stood between Arkansas and a run-rule victory. That's when Diggs stepped up to the plate and blasted a three-run shot over the center field wall to send everyone home.
Arkansas and Eastern Illinois continue their series Saturday with first pitch at Baum-Walker set for 12 p.m.