Razorbacks topple Bears with big fifth inning to start regional 1-0

No. 2 Arkansas (40-20, 17-13 SEC) used a 6-run fifth inning to beat the No. 3 Missouri State Bears (34-20, 20-10 CUSA) 9-5 and start the Lawrence Regional 1-0. It is the 11th consecutive time that the Razorbacks have won the opening game of the NCAA Tournament. 

Arkansas’ offense had little success against Missouri State starter Max Knight, who used his slider from the left side to hold Arkansas to just 1 run in 4 innings with 7 strikeouts. Once Knight left the game in the fifth, the Missouri State bullpen could not find the strike zone. The Bears issued 9 walks, 6 of them after Knight left the game.

The Razorbacks tagged Brock Lucas with 5 runs over just a ⅓ of an inning as the Razorbacks sent 11 hitters to the plate and flipped a 3-1 deficit into a 7-3 lead. Maika Niu had an RBI double in the inning as part of a 4-for-4 game with 2 stolen bases. It was Niu’s first 4-hit game in a Razorback uniform.

Missouri State’s bats had the opposite fate of Arkansas’. The Bears wasted no time getting the bats going against Gabe Gaeckle. Gaeckle allowed a leadoff home run to second baseman Bryce Cerminelli. Cerminelli went 3-for-3 with 2 walks and is now 14-for-21 against the Razorbacks in his career. 

Gaeckle gutted his way through 4 innings, allowing 3 runs and striking out 7. The Arkansas pitching staff got plenty of defensive help from third baseman TJ Pompey. Pompey made a pair of run-saving plays at the hot corner. 

With Arkansas down 3-0 and hanging by a thread, Pompey snagged a liner off the bat of Curry Sutherland going towards the shortstop side of third to save 2 runs and keep Arkansas within striking distance. 

Once Missouri State got into the bullpen, the Bears did not see much success against the trio of Steele Eaves, Parker Coil and Ethan McElvain.

Only ran into some trouble in the eighth when a leadoff walk and 2 singles loaded the bases in a 8-3 game with 1 out, forcing McElvain into action to put out the fire. After allowing a 2-run double and bringing the tying run to the plate, McElvain induced a pair of groundballs to third to keep a 3-run lead intact. Pompey made a pair of slick plays to retire the side and strand runners at second and third. 

Arkansas pitching stranded 12 Missouri State runners and held the Bears to 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The Razorbacks face No. 1 Kansas in the winners bracket after the Jayhawks beat Northeastern 6-3. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday. 

Live Updates:

No. 2 Arkansas (39-20, 17-13 SEC) looks to start the Lawrence Regional with a win over the No. 3 Missouri State Bears (34-19, 20-10 CUSA). The Razorbacks have not lost the first game of the regional round since 2013. The two teams split a midweek series earlier in the regular season. 

The Bears won the first matchup 15-14 in Springfield, Mo. while Arkansas got revenge when the teams met at Baum-Walker Stadium, winning 12-4. Arkansas’ Gabe Gaeckle (6-3, 3.99 ERA) did not pitch in either game. Missouri State starts lefty Max Knight (6-3, 4.69 ERA). Knight appeared in both games and allowed 5 earned runs in 2 ⅔ innings combined.  

Subscribe to HawgBeat now for just $1 and then get 50% off your first year for new members, visit our homepage to sign up today! This includes complete access to all On3 and Rivals national content, plus The Trough premium message board. 

Starting Lineups:

Arkansas:

LF Damian Ruiz
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
RF Zack Stewart
3B TJ Pompey
2B Nolan Souza
CF Maika Niu
DH Carter Rutenbar
1B Reese Robinett
RHP Gabe Gaeckle

Missouri State:

2B Bryce Cermenelli
SS Logan Fyffe
3B Curry Sutherland
RF Taeg Gollert
CF Caden Bogenpohl
DH Jax Ryan
C Carter Bergman
DH Bobby Atkinson
LF Gabe Roessler
LHP Max Knight

Top 9th:

• Ryan struck out looking, 1 out
• Bergman popped up to second, 2 outs
• Beaman grounded out to second, 3 outs

Bottom 8th:

• Lance Wade replaced Slater
• Stewart walked
• Christian Turner replaced Stewart at first
• Pompey grounded into a fielder’s choice, third to second, Turner out at second, 1 out
• Pompey stole second
• Souza grounded out to second, Pompey to third, 2 outs
• Niu doubled to right center, Pompey scored, Arkansas 9, Missouri State 5
• Rutenbar struck out looking, 3 outs

Top 8th:

• Jackson Beaman replaced Atkinson
• Beaman walked
• Roessler flied out to left, 1 out
• Cermenelli singled to right, Beaman to second
• Fyffe singled to left, Beaman to third, Cermenelli to second
• Ethan McElvain replaced Coil
• Sutherland doubled to left, Beaman scored, Cermenelli scored, Arkansas 8, Missouri State 5
• Gollert grounded out to third, 2 outs
• Bogenpohl grounded out to third, 3 outs

Bottom 7th:

• Robinett grounded out to short, 1 out
• Ruiz grounded out, pitcher to second to first, 2 outs
• Kozeal walked
• Helfrick struck out looking, 3 outs

Top 7th:

• Parker Coil replaced Eaves
• Gollert struck out swinging, 1 out
• Bogenpohl grounded out to short, 2 outs
• Ryan singled to center
• Bergman struck out swinging, 3 outs

Bottom 6th:

• Helfrick struck out swinging, 1 out
• Stewart singled to center
• Pompey walked, Stewart to second
• Souza grounded out to third, Stewart to third, Pompey to second, 2 outs
• Niu singled to first, Stewart scored, Pompey to third, Arkansas 8, Missouri State 3
• Souza stole second
• Rutenbar grounded out to first, 1 out

Top 6th:

• Roessler flied out to center, 1 out
• Cermenelli walked
• Fyffe flied out to center, 2 outs
• Sutherland flied out to center, 3 outs

Bottom 5th:

• Brock Lucas replaced Knight
• Ruiz singled to center
• Kozeal walked, Ruiz to second
• Helfrick doubled to right, Ruiz scored, Kozeal to third, Missouri State 3, Arkansas 2
• Stewart grounded out to first, Kozeal scored, Helfrick to third, Missouri State 3, Arkansas 3
• Pompey singled to left, Helfrick scored, Arkansas 4, Missouri State 3
• Souza walked, Pompey to second
• Tyler Charlton replaced Lucas
• Niu doubled to left, Pompey scored, Souza to third, Arkansas 5, Missouri State 3
• Rutenbar walked
• Robinett singled to right, Souza scored, Niu to third, Rutenbar to second, Arkansas 6, Missouri State 3
• Owen Slater replaced Charlton
• Ruiz grounded into a fielder’s choice, short to second, Niu scored, Rutenbar to third, Robinett out at second, Arkansas 7, Missouri State 3
• Kozeal grounded out to first, 3 outs

Top 5th:

• Steele Eaves replaced Gaeckle
• Gollert struck out swinging, 1 out
• Bogenpohl hit by a pitch
• Ryan singled to third, bunt, Bogenpohl to second
• Bergman flied out to right, Bogenpohl to third, 2 outs
• Atkinson grounded out to first, 3 outs

Bottom 4th:

• Stewart walked
• Pompey grounded into a double play, third to second to first, Stewart out at second, 2 outs
• Souza singled, pitcher to short
• Souza stole second
• Niu singled to left, Souza scored, Missouri State 3, Arkansas 1
• Niu stole second
• Rutenbar walked
• Robinett struck out swinging, 3 outs

Top 4th:

• Ryan struck out swinging, 1 out
• Bergman walked
• Atkinson singled to right, Bergman to second, Bergman to third on a fielding error by the right fielder
• Roessler out on a fielder’s choice, catcher to second, sacrifice bunt, Bergman scored, Atkinson to second, Missouri State 3, Arkansas 0
• Cermenelli intentionally walked
• Fyffe struck out swinging, Fyffe to first on a wild pitch, Atkinson to third, Cermenelli to second
• Sutherland lined out to third, 3 outs

TJ Pompey saved 2 runs on a hot shot to avoid a house of horrors in the fourth. Zack Stewart’s error against his former team played a key part in giving Missouri State another run.

, Bottom 3rd:

• Robinett struck out looking, 1 out
• Ruiz singled to the pitcher, advanced to second on an error by the pitcher
• Kozeal flied out to center, 2 outs
• Helfrick struck out swinging, 3 outs

Arkansas got a runner in scoring position for the first time but continue to strike out. Max Knight faced 13 hitters in 3 innings, he’s struck out 6.

Top 3rd:

• Sutherland flied out to center, 1 out
• Gollert struck out looking, 2 outs
• Bogenpohl struck out swinging, 3 outs

Bottom 2nd:

• Pompey struck out looking, 1 out
• Souza popped out to short, 2 outs
• Niu walked
• Rutenbar grounded out to second, 3 outs

Top 2nd:

• Atkinson struck out swinging, 1 out
• Roessler grounded out to third, 2 outs
• Cermenelli singled to center
• Fyffe grounded out to short, 3 outs

Bottom 1st:

• Ruiz struck out swinging, 1 out
• Kozeal struck out swinging, 2 outs
• Helfrick singled to center
• Stewart struck out swinging, 3 outs

Top 1st:

• Cermenelli homered to left, Missouri State 1, Arkansas 0
• Fyffe struck out looking, 1 out
• Sutherland grounded out to second, 2 outs
• Gollert singled to center
• Gollert advanced to second on a wild pitch
• Bogenpohl singled to center, Gollert to second, Missouri State 2, Arkansas 0
• Ryan walked, Bogenpohl to second
• Bergman struck out swinging, 3 outs