Peyton Stovall went 5-for-5 at the plate to help No. 2 Arkansas defeat Missouri State, 8-5, at Baum-Walker Stadium Wednesday to complete a two-game series sweep.
The Razorbacks (39-7 overall) finished the regular season a perfect 12-0 in midweek play. It’s the first time Arkansas has gone unbeaten in midweek games since 2005. The win was also the team’s 31st victory of the season at Baum-Walker.
Jared Sprague-Lott drove in the game’s first run on a ground ball that swallowed up Curry Sutherland at third base for a 1-0 Razorbacks lead.
In the fifth inning, the Diamond Hogs broke a 1-1 tie when Stovall reached on a single that would score Parker Rowland. Later that inning, Kendall Diggs lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Stovall for a 3-1 Arkansas lead.
The Razorbacks made it 5-1 in the sixth when Peyton Holt notched his third home run of the season before Stovall added a run-scoring single to score Rowland.
Three more runs crossed the plate for Arkansas in the seventh courtesy of a two-run single to center from Nolan Souza and a sacrifice fly from Rowland that scored Wehiwa Aloy. That upped the lead to 8-2.
Missouri State put up three runs in the ninth against Koty Frank, who pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in relief and earned his fourth save of the season. Nick Rodriguez homered to lead off the inning, and Tyler Epstein doubled home a run and scored on a wild pitch before Frank struck out Caden Bogenpohl to end the game.
Arkansas used three pitchers in Wednesday’s victory with Ben Bybee making his sixth start. The right-hander pitched four scoreless innings and allowed three hits. He struck out six without walking a batter in a no-decision.
Dylan Carter (1-0) picked up his first win in relief, pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief and allowing two runs — one in the fifth and another in the seventh. Reed Metz (1-3) was tagged with the loss for Missouri State, allowing two runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Arkansas out-hit the Bears, 10-8. Stovall’s perfect day at the plate was the first five-hit game of the season for coach Dave Van Horn’s team and the second of Stovall’s career; he also went 5-for-5 in a 2022 College World Series game against Auburn.
The Diamond Hogs will close the regular season with three straight weekend series against Top 25-ranked teams in No. 8 Kentucky in Lexington, No. 21 Mississippi State (at home), and No. 1 Texas A&M in College Station. The Wildcats are tied with Arkansas for first place in the SEC standings at 15-6.
First pitch for Friday’s series opener against Kentucky is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CDT. The game can be seen on SEC Network+.