COLLEGE BASEBALL : Centenary quiets Arkansas’ batters
Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — The last thing Arkansas’ baseball team wanted to do was leave town again after a nonconference loss, but that’s the position the Razorbacks find themselves in today.
Centenary ended decades of frustration by beating the Razorbacks 5-1 on Wednesday before 2, 115 at Baum Stadium. Centenary last beat Arkansas in 1965, and Wednesday’s victory ended a 25-game losing streak to the Razorbacks.
Arkansas, which beat Centenary 9-0 on Tuesday, will try at regroup this weekend when it resumes SEC play at Vanderbilt.
“It’s tough to lose a game in the middle of the week, but I’ve got to give them [Centenary ] credit,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “They flat outplayed us in the field and had some timely hitting.
“ When you play this many games and kids are going to class, it becomes a mental issue, and our guys didn’t handle it very well.”
Arkansas (15-9 ) was held to four hits and Centenary (14-5 ) scored three runs in the sixth to break a 1-1 tie. Andrew Darr hit a home run in the fifth inning, but the Gentlemen answered with three runs on three hits, including an RBI single by Cameron Penney off Sam Murphy.
Brett Eibner moved from center field to the mound and threw a pickoff attempt into center field that allowed two runners to move into scoring position. Steele Lewis came home on a wild pitch before Teddy Saenz hit a sacrifice fly to right field to give Centenary a 4-1 lead.
“We had a chance to strike [Penny ] out, and he hits a double off an 0-2 curveball that’s down the middle,” Van Horn said. “That’s disappointing, but it’s not what lost the game for us. We didn’t hit, and they outpitched us.”
Centenary Coach Ed Mc-Cann said he was excited to see his team end a long losing streak to Arkansas after a handful of near-misses.
“A win like this means we’re moving in the right direction and that we’ve recruited the right student-athletes,” Mc-Cann said. “We used our No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers and our closer, but they’re either freshmen or sophomores. They’re still pups, but they don’t pitch like pups.
“ I’m real appreciative that Dave plays us, and they come down to our place. He respects the game and gives little guys like us a chance.”
Centenary starter Dakota Robinson held Arkansas scoreless on two hits before taking the lead after four innings. Darr hit a tying home run off reliever Justin Kraft (5-0 ), but the Razorbacks were unable to do much else. Casey Coon had two of Arkansas’ four hits, and the Razorbacks struck out seven times against three Centenary pitchers.
Kraft pitched three innings to earn the victory, and Boone Whiting followed with two innings of scoreless relief.
Arkansas hit into a double play and Ben Tschepikow was thrown out at third trying to advance on a pitch that briefly eluded catcher Alex Maldonodo.
Arkansas’ problems began in the first inning when Murphy walked leadoff batter Jomar Tabor, who then advanced to third on a poor pickoff throw by Murphy. Tabor scored on a groundout by Lewis to give Centenary a 1-0 lead.
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