By: Oliver Grigg/ ArkansasRazorbacks.comLEXINGTON, Ky. – Gabe Gaeckle, Steele Eaves and Ethan McElvain combined for a season high-tying 16 strikeouts to pitch No. 12 Arkansas (35-19, 16-13 SEC) past Kentucky (31-19, 14-16 SEC) in a 5-4 win Friday at Kentucky Proud Park.
With the win, the Razorbacks evened the series up at one apiece as well as clinched their ninth consecutive winning season in SEC play (2017-26). Arkansas and Kentucky square off in the weekend series’ rubber game and regular season finale at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16, on SEC Network+ with Dick Gabriel (play-by-play) and Doug Flynn (analyst) on the call.
The Hogs and Wildcats traded blows all night long. Gaeckle, who started on the mound, spun 5.1 innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts for Arkansas, departing in line for the win thanks to Zack Stewart and Camden Kozeal’s home runs.
Stewart’s solo shot in the third inning was his second in as many games, while Kozeal hit a two-run blast in the fourth, his team-best 17th of the year. Ryder Helfrick and Kuhio Aloy drove in runs in the fifth and seventh, respectively, to grow Arkansas’ lead to 4-2 entering the bottom of seventh, but Kentucky capitalized on two errors to tie the game at four.
Nolan Souza, however, played hero in the top half of the eighth inning. Following Maika Niu’s leadoff walk and stolen base, the Razorback second baseman ripped a double to left center on a 1-1 pitch to put Arkansas back in front, 5-4.
Along with Damian Ruiz (2-for-5, 2B) and Kozeal (2-for-5, HR, RBI), Souza (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) was one of three Hogs with a multi-hit game in Friday’s win. With his two-hit effort, Ruiz is now slashing a team-leading .310/.453/.468 in 45 games.
Paired with the clutch hitting by its offense, Arkansas withstood Kentucky with a strong pitching performance on the mound. In relief of Gaeckle, Eaves (0.2 IP, 2 R, 2 SO) and McElvain (3.0 IP, 7 SO) emerged from the bullpen and combined for 3.2 innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts to secure the Hogs’ series-evening victory against the Wildcats.
McElvain, who earned the win to improve to a perfect 5-0 on the year, worked a season-long three shutout innings with a career high-matching seven strikeouts. The Razorback left-hander now boasts a 1.24 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 29.0 innings across 17 relief appearances while limiting opposing hitters to a meager .165 batting average this season.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
