The #3 Arkansas Razorbacks outlasted Missouri on Friday night, beating the Tigers 7-5 in Columbia, Missouri, in a back-and-forth affair. While Mizzou never led, they pushed the Hogs by answering Razorback runs time and again. That is, until the 8th inning.
Enter Brady Tygart
The electric freshman baffled the black and gold, making SEC hitters look silly by striking out 5 of the 8 batters he faced. Even after Missouri brought the tying run to the plate, Tygart answered the bell by striking out Mike Colleta to end the game.
Conor Noland started the game for Arkansas, leaving after 5 complete innings on 101 pitches. The Tigers worked the Hogs senior, scratching out 7 hits – 3 of which that never left the infield – while only earning one walk. Noland padded his impressive strikeout total but K-ing 9 batters, giving him 47 for the year. He has an impressive 12.3 K/9 rate this year, notably without an overpowering fastball.
Zebulon Vermillion picked up the win after surrendering the lead by giving up his first three hits and first earned run of the season. Evan Taylor gave up a run in relief but also looked sharp at times.
Any win is a good win the SEC, especially on a Friday night. It was not the prettiest or most dominating win of the season, but it was good to see the Hogs respond after being pushed by a scrappy Missouri team. They’ll play again on Saturday in CoMo. First pitch is set for 2:00pm and will be televised on ESPN Plus.
