Mid-Game pitching meltdown sends Arkansas packing, Kansas advances to first ever Super
LAWRENCE – No. 2 seed Arkansas (41-22, 17-13 SEC) allowed 11 unanswered runs and saw their season come to a close in the regionals for the third time in 4 seasons as No. 1 seed Kansas (44-16, 22-8 Big 12) advanced to its first Super Regional in school history, 13-10.
Arkansas jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to 5 hits in the first 3 innings, including a solo home run from Ryder Helfrick, his 18th of the season.
Ethan McElvain made his first start in a Razorback uniform and held Kansas in check through the first 3 innings but began to tire as he approached his season-high in pitch count. McElvain’s season-high in pitch count was 52 and coach Dave Van Horn opted to send him back out to start the top of the fourth at 49 pitches.
After striking out the leadoff hitter, a home run and three straight singles immediately pulled Kansas to within 5-2, forcing Van Horn to the bullpen for Cole Gibler.
Former Razorback Max Soliz Jr. greeted Gibler with an RBI single before Tyson LeBlanc, who hit a game-tying home run earlier in the regional against Arkansas, did himself one better by hitting a go-ahead 3-run blast 440 feet to center field.
Kansas never trailed in the game after LeBlanc’s home run. Feeling the effects of 9 extra innings against Northeastern from the morning, Arkansas turned to Colin Fisher in a leverage spot. Fisher was charged with 4 runs in 1 ⅓ innings of work. A costly potential double play ball that was booted by TJ Pompey led to 2 more Kansas runs in the fifth.
After throwing just 5 pitches against Kansas Saturday, James DeCremer could not find the strike zone again, throwing just 5 of his 20 pitches for strikes and giving Kansas 2 more insurance runs.
Kansas took an 11-5 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning with Arkansas acting as the home team. The tying run never got back up to the plate.
Reliever Boede Rahe pitched for the third time in as many days and recorded the final 6 outs as Kansas punched its ticket to the Super Regional and now awaits the winner of the Atlanta Regional. Georgia Tech and Oklahoma will play a deciding game 7 Monday.
Live Updates:
No. 2 seed Arkansas (41-21) eliminated No. 4 seed Northeastern (39-22) in a 10-9 slugfest to advance to the Lawrence Regional final against host Kansas at Hoglund Ballpark on Sunday.
Reese Robinett went full “Big Country” mode, smashing two home runs and batted four in to finish 3 for 5 against the Huskies and Nolan Souza registered three hits with a long ball and 5 RBI. Cleanup batter Zack Stewart also knocked a home run for a Hogs lineup that finished with 11 hits.
The Razorbacks now must beat the Jayhawks, who beat them 5-3 on Saturday, twice to keep their season alive. First pitch is set for 5:06 p.m. CT and southpaw Ethan McElvain will be on the bump for Arkansas
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
LF Damian Ruiz
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
DH Zack Stewart
2B Nolan Souza
1B Reese Robinett
CF Maika Niu
RF Christian Turner
3B TJ Pompey
LHP Ethan McElvain
Kansas:
SS Tyson Leblanc
CF Tyson Owens
C Augusto Mungarrieta
1B Josh Dykhoff
2B Dariel Osoria
RF Jordan Bach
3B Dylan Schlotterback
LF Brady Ballinger
DH Max Soliz Jr.
RHP Mathis Nayral
Bottom 9th:
- Robinett struck out swinging, 1 out
- Niu homered to left, Kansas 13, Arkansas 10
- Turner struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Pompey struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 9th:
- LeBlanc walked
- Mark Brissey replaced Dossett
- LeBlanc stole second
- Owens struck out swinging, 1 out
- Owens picked off of third, catcher to second to third to short, 2 outs
- Mungarrieta struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Boede Rahe replaced Ritter
- Ruiz doubled to left
- Kozeal lined out to first, 1 out
- Helfrick flied out to left, 2 outs
- Ruiz to third on a wild pitch
- Stewart homered to center, Ruiz scored, Kansas 13, Arkansas 9
- Souza struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- James DeCremer replaced Lee
- Mungarrieta walked
- Dykhoff singled to center, Mungarrieta to second
- Osoria singled to the pitcher, bunt, Mungarrieta to third, Dykhoff to second
- Bach walked, Mungarrieta scored, Dykhoff to third, Osoria to second, Kansas 12, Arkansas 7
- Cooper Dossett replaced DeCremer
- Schlotterback flied out to right, Dykhoff scored, Osoria to third, Bach to second, 1 out, Kansas 13, Arkansas 7
- Ballinger struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Soliz flied out to left. 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Souza struck out swinging, 1 out
- Robinett singled to left
- Niu doubled to left, Robinett to third
- Turner struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Pompey struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Ballinger doubled to right center
- Soliz grounded out to third. 1 out
- LeBlanc grounded out to short, 2 outs
- Owens struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 6th:
- Pompey singled to left
- Pompey to second on a wild pitch
- Ruiz struck out swinging, 1 out
- Riane Ritter replaced West
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Helfrick homered to left, Ruiz scored, Kansas 11, Arkansas 7
- Stewart grounded out to first, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- LeBlanc doubled to left center
- Owens struck out swinging, 1 out
- Mungarrieta hit by a pitch
- LeBlanc to third on a wild pitch, Mungarrieta to second
- Dykhoff homered to right, LeBlanc scored, Mungarrieta scored, Kansas 11, Arkansas 5
- Osoria doubled to left
- Bach flied out to left, 2 outs
- Peyton Lee replaced Fisher in a 1-1 count
- Schlotterback grounded out to short, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Stewart popped out to short, 1 out
- Souza singled to first
- Robinett flied out to left, 2 outs
- Niu walked, Souza to second
- Turner grounded out to second, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Dykhoff singled to right
- Osoria flied out to left, 1 out
- Colin Fisher replaced Gibler
- Bach walked, Dykhoff to second
- Schlotterback reached on a fielder’s choice to third, Dykhoff scored, Bach to third, throwing error charged to the third baseman, Kansas 7, Arkansas 5
- Ballinger grounded out to second, 2 outs, Bach scored, Kansas 8, Arkansas 5
- Soliz flied out to center, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Ruiz popped out to short, 1 out
- Kozeal grounded out to first, 2 outs
- Helfrick flied out to left, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Dykhoff struck out swinging, 1 out
- Osoria homered to left, Arkansas 5, Kansas 1
- Bach singled to right
- Schlotterback singled to left, Bach to second
- Ballinger singled to left, Bach scored, Schlotterback to third, Arkansas 5, Kansas 2
- Cole Gibler replaced McElvain
- Soliz singled to left, Schlotterback scored, Ballinger to second, Arkansas 5, Kansas 3
- LeBlanc homered to center, Ballinger scored, Soliz scored, Kansas 6, Arkansas 5
- Owens struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Mungarrieta struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Stewart walked
- Souza grounded into a fielder’s choice, second to short, 1 out
- Robinett walked
- Manning West replaced Schiedt
- Niu singled to left center, Souza scored, Robinett to second, Arkansas 5, Kansas 0
- Turner grounded into a fielder’s choice, second to short, Niu out at second, 2 outs, Robinett to third
- Turner stole second
- Pompey flied out to right, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Soliz struck out swinging, 1 out
- LeBlanc lined out to right, 2 outs
- Owens walked
- Mungarrieta flied out to center, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Robinett walked
- Niu singled to left, Robinett to second
- Toby Schiedt replaced Nayral
- Turner grounded out to the catcher, sacrifice, Robinett to third, Niu to second
- Pompey fouled out to first, 2 outs
- Ruiz singled to left, Robinett scored, Niu scored, Arkansas 3, Kansas 0
- Kozeal singled to right, Ruiz scored, Arkansas 4, Kansas 0
- Helfrick grounded out to third, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- Osoria doubled to left center
- Bach walked
- Schlotterback grounded into a double play, pitcher to second to first, Bach out at second, 2 outs
- Ballinger struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Ruiz flied out to right, 1 out
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Helfrick homered to left, Arkansas 1, Kansas 0
- Stewart walked
- Souza grounded out to second, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- LeBlanc walked
- Owens flied out to center, 1 out
- Mungarrieta grounded into a fielder’s choice, second to short, 2 outs, Mungarrietta to second on a throwing error by the shortstop
- Dykhoff grounded out to second, 3 outs
