May 11, 2008
Columbia, S.C. – Arkansas sophomore left-hander Dallas Keuchel struck out a career-high 10 batters in eight innings of work and the Razorbacks broke out with three runs in the second and third innings on the way to a 4-2 victory over South Carolina to sweep a three-game SEC baseball series. Arkansas improves to 31-20 and 13-13 in the SEC while the loss drops Carolina to 34-18 and 13-14 in the conference.
Keuchel limited the Gamecocks to just one run on five hits in the afternoon and walked just two to pick up the victory. He is 4-2 on the year. Carolina starting pitcher Blake Cooper suffered the loss and is 5-5 on the year. He went 7.1 innings and allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Arkansas went ahead 1-0 in the second inning. Andy Wilkins reached base with a one-out walk and Jeff Nutt was hit by a pitch with two outs to give the Razorbacks a pair of runners. Designated hitter Aaron Murphree then hit the first pitch he saw from Cooper for a RBI single to left field that scored Wilkins.
The Razorbacks extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning with another key two-out RBI hit. With runners on the corners and two outs, Wilkins drilled a full count pitch from Cooper to right center for a double to score both Chase Leavitt and Logan Forsythe.
Carolina could do no damage on the scoreboard as Keuchel limited the Gamecock attack at the plate. The Gamecocks had runners on first and second with one out in the fourth inning but Keuchel worked himself out of the jam as he coaxed Whit Merrifield into a fly out to center field and struck out Justin Smoak to end the Gamecock threat.
Arkansas scored late in the eighth inning for an insurance run as Casey Coon delivered with a RBI single to score Ben Tschepikow, who had doubled to lead off the frame. South Carolina looked to rally in the ninth inning as Smoak singled to lead off the inning. With a 1-1 count to James Darnell, the Razorbacks made a pitching change and brought in reliever Mike Bolsinger. Darnell greeted Bolsinger with a two-run homer to left center to cut the deficit to two runs. Bolsinger recovered however as he struck out Phil Disher and got a pair of ground outs against Andrew Crisp and Harley Lail to preserver the Razorback victory. Each team finished with six hits. South Carolina’s Whit Merrifield went 2-for-4 and was the only player between both teams to tally a multi-hit game.
South Carolina returns home for the final four regular season games of the season beginning on Tuesday night with a non-conference game vs. The Citadel set for 7 pm at Sarge Frye Field. The Gamecocks then host Tennessee in a three-game series beginning on Thursday night, with first pitch also at 7 pm.
