This one was ugly, but the Hogs have a long season to go.
Arkansas lost its first game of the season to James Madison, 7-3, on Sunday. The game marked the first time in over 20 years that the Dukes pulled off a win against a Top-10 opponent.
Aside from a promising first inning, the Razorbacks floundered one good opportunity after another over the next eight innings. Arkansas finished with 10 hits, six walks, and a hit batter, but only scored three runs. Nearly every inning ended with runners stranded on base.
Pitching was still excellent for the Hogs, despite a four-run, seventh implosion that happened to be the difference in the game. Even then, freshman Gabe Gaeckle—the pitcher that allowed three of the four runs—showed flashes of dominance, throwing just 22 pitches against seven batters in innings five and six.
But let’s give credit where it’s due; JMU’s Joe Vogatsky pitched a great game. The Warrenton, Virginia, native was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 14th round last year but decided to stay at the collegiate level for one more year. Vogatsky pitched 4 1/3 innings with a stat line of four strikeouts, three walks and one earned run.
Coach Dave Van Horn’s Razorbacks tend to be anemic at the plate following big performances, such as yesterday’s dominant 15-5 win over the Dukes. Hitting production comes and goes, but the Hogs have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the nation. It should be enough to pull the Hogs out of sticky situations the rest of the season.
The Razorbacks have a chance to take the series vs JMU in their final game tomorrow. The first pitch is scheduled for Monday, February 19 at noon.