FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 10th-ranked Arkansas baseball team jumped on 2nd-ranked Mississippi State early and never looked back Friday night, winning 12-5 to claim the series and move into sole possession of second place in the SEC Western Division.
The win is the Razorbacks’ (29-10, 11-6 SEC) fourth in a row and third in conference play as they used a four-run second inning and five-run seventh innings to pull away from the Bulldogs for the seven-run victory. It’s the sixth-straight home series win over Mississippi State dating back to 2007.
Four different Razorback hitters recorded multi-hit games led by catcher Casey Opitz, who went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, all from a bases-clearing single in the seventh that was misplayed by the Bulldogs’ right fielder. Over the last three games, Opitz has had the hot bat going 7-for-12 (.583) at the plate with six RBIs and one home run.
Sophomore infielder Casey Martin turned in another strong line, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBIs. His big swing came in the second inning when he took Peyton Plumlee deep to centerfield for a grand slam, his first of his career. It was the third grand slam hit by a Razorback this season and the eighth home run of the year by Martin.
Dominic Fletcher and Christian Franklin also had two-hit games. Neither drove in a run in the ballgame, but it’s the second-straight two-hit game for Franklin and fourth-straight multi-hit game for Fletcher.
Arkansas and Mississippi State finish the three-game series on Saturday at Baum-Walker Stadium with first pitch set for 2 p.m. The game will be televised on SEC Network+.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI