No. 5 Arkansas appeared to be coasting to a win on Sunday, but Texas Tech rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth before the Razorbacks could win it 6-5 in 11 innings in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The Razorbacks won it in the bottom of the 11th when left fielder Damian Ruiz singled to start the inning. Ruiz batted leadoff and got on base six times including two hits. Ruiz singled to start the inning then Ryder Helfrick hit a single to right field. That allowed Ruiz to advance to third. Maika Niu then hit a fly ball to shallow center that was caught. but the two Red Raider outfielders collided and Ruiz scored from third to end the game.
The game probably should have never gotten to that point. The Razorbacks held a 4-1 lead entering the ninth inning. Dave Van Horn opted to bring in Cooper Dossett to pitch the ninth after Parker Coil threw a scoreless eighth.
Dossett simply didn’t have it on this day. He walked the leadoff hitter, then allowed a single. Dossett then got a fly out before walking another hitter. After he struck out the next batter, he allowed another walk making it 4-2. Van Horn then went to the bullpen to get Steele Eaves who hit the first batter he faced to make it 4-3 Arkansas. That is when Tracer Lopez delivered a two-out single to put the Red Raiders up 5-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Cam Kozeal hit a one-out, 2-0 pitch over the fence to tie the game at 5. That was all the offense either team could muster until the bottom of the 11th.
The Hogs used five pitchers in the game and Texas Tech seven.
Arkansas got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third when Ruiz walked and then went to third on a Helfrick single. He scored on a sacrifice ground out by Niu.
The Hogs were gifted a couple of runs in the bottom of the fourth when third baseman Connor Shouse had a wild throw to first that allowed both Carson Brumbaugh and Christian Turner to score with two outs.
Arkansas tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth when Kozeal walked and then scored on a double by third baseman TJ Pompey, who was facing his former team.
Eaves gets the win and Logan Bevis takes the loss. Eaves, from Lonoke, pitched 2.1 innings allowing one hit, no runs, walked one and hit another batter while striking out three. The other pitchers for Arkansas were Colin Fisher, James DeCremer, Coil and Dossett. They combined to allow five runs, five hits, eight walks and struck out 13. The Hogs stranded 11 runners in the game.
Bevis worked one inning allowing two hits and one run. He stuck out one hitter. The other Tech pitchers were Connor Mohan the starter. Then Bryce Sutter, Jesse Rusinek, Jonny Lowe, Will Jordan and Jacob Rogers. They allowed six runs, nine hits, seven walks and struck out 14.