FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the first time all season, Baum-Walker Stadium was able to be at full capacity, and Arkansas made sure to put on a show for the fans. The Razorbacks clinched at least a share of the SEC West title, downing Florida 6-1.
As is tradition, the Razorbacks' opponent scored first, with Patrick Wicklander serving up a solo shot in the second. Other than that, the Arkansas game one starter turned in one of his best performances of the season, striking out 11 and giving up just three hits over six innings.
Arkansas got the run back in the fourth, when Cassey Opitz singled in Christian Franklin. In the fifth, Cayden Wallace continued a stellar freshman campaign with the go-ahead homer, keeping it just fair down the right field line. Later in the inning, Opitz picked up another RBI, this time singling to bring in Brady Slavens and bring the Arkansas lead up to 3-1. In the 8th, Wallace did it again, this time going down the left field line for a three-run blast to make it 6-1.
Kevin Kopps entered in the 7th, and, well, does anyone really wonder what came next? Kopps did Kopps things, shutting the door with five strikeouts in three innings of scoreless baseball.
Game two goes down Friday at 7PM on SEC Network. Caleb Bolden gets the start, with the Hogs needing a win to clinch their first outright SEC West title since 2011.
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