FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas had to wait nearly three weeks in between home games, and then just a little longer. Friday was slated for a 6:30pm first pitch, but weather turned that into 8:00pm. Apparently, this was just what both starting pitchers required.
Patrick Wicklander was fantastic, working out of a few jams but striking out nine in 5 2/3 of scoreless baseball. He was relieved in the 6th with a runner on second, but Caden Monke got a strikeout to end the threat. That was all that was asked of Monke, as Kevin Kopps came in to do his thing in the seventh.
Making his first start for Georgia, Liam Sullivan was just as good, striking out 11 and giving up just one run in six innings. It was the bottom of the second, when Robert Moore and Casey Opitz hit back to back doubles, but that's all Sullivan allowed for the night.
The Razorbacks had plenty of chances for insurance, loading the bases in the 7th and 8th innings. No dice in the 7th, and it looked like the 8th was destined for the same, until Robert Moore blooped one into shallow center, scoring two and getting to second with some heads up base running. Casey Opitz struck out to end the inning, and it was up to Kopps to slam the door shut.
Kopps struck out the first batter of the ninth, then some trouble. An error on Nesbit put a runner on first, then a single brought the tying run to home plate.
No problem for the best reliever in the nation. Kopps got an other strikeout, then a flyout to Franklin to end the game, a 3-0 Razorback win. Game two is set for 6PM at Baum-Walker Saturday afternoon.