After taking game one 9-3, No. 6 Arkansas captured game two on Saturday against 20th ranked Texas A&M.
The Razorbacks knocked off the Aggies 3-1 on Saturday to improve to 35-15 (16-10 SEC), while A&M falls to 34-16 (12-14 SEC). The win puts Arkansas in first place in the SEC West, just one game ahead of Ole Miss. A&M sits in fifth now, just one game behind Auburn.
The Aggies couldn’t muster any offense at all against the Razorbacks’ pitching staff. Arkansas junior starter Kacey Murphy locked down the A&M offense, throwing 7.1 shutout innings, giving up just four hits and two walks, while striking out five.
The Razorbacks started their scoring early in the bottom of the first thanks to a single from senior second baseman Carson Shaddy that scored one. Shaddy then gave Arkansas its other two runs in the bottom of the seventh on a two-RBI double.
A&M got its lone run in the top of the ninth in a comeback attempt. Sophomore pinch hitter Cam Blake lofted a sac fly in the ninth to score sophomore left fielder Logan Foster before junior catcher Cole Bedford struck out with the tying run on base to end the game.
The Aggie offense was led by Bedford, Foster, and junior second baseman Michael Helman. Bedford went 2-4, Foster went 1-3 with a run scored, and Helman went 1-3 with a walk. Sophomore starter John Doxakis had a solid start for the Aggies on the mound. Doxakis threw 6.1 innings, giving up all three runs on just five hits, and struck out seven. The Aggies had three other pitchers spend time on the mound. Junior Nolan Hoffman and freshman Dustin Saenz both threw 0.2 innings giving up just one hit, and sophomore Landon Miner came in for one out.
The Arkansas offense was led by Shaddy, freshman left fielder Hunter Kjerstad, and junior right fielder Eric Cole. Shaddy went 2-4 with the three RBIs, Kjerstad went 2-4 with a run scored, and Cole went 2-5 with a run scored from the leadoff spot.
The Aggies and Razorbacks will be back in action on Sunday for game three at Arkansas’ Baum Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.