Arkansas baseball strikes out 16 to down Kentucky 5-4
By David Wasson
Published:
Three Arkansas pitchers combined to strike out 16 Kentucky batters Friday night as the 12th-ranked Razorbacks edged the Wildcats 5-4 in front of 4,000 at Kentucky Proud Park.
Arkansas (35-19 overall, 16-13 SEC) clinched its ninth straight winning SEC season and can earn a series victory in Saturday’s finale (2 pm ET, SEC Network+). Kentucky (31-19, 13-16) lost for just the seventh time at home this season.
Camden Kozeal belted his team-best 17th homer, a two-run shot, and Zack Stewart added a solo shot for Arkansas. Nolan Souza ripped an RBI double in the seventh for the game-deciding run.
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The combination of starter Gabe Gaeckle, Steele Eaves and Ethan McElvain combined for a season high-tying 16 strikeouts – with Gaeckle fanning seven in 5 1/3 innings and McElvain (5-0) working a season-long three shutout innings with a career high-matching seven strikeouts.
The Razorback southpaw now boasts a 1.24 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 29.0 innings across 17 relief appearances while limiting opposing hitters to a meager .165 batting average this season.
Kozeal, Souza and Damian Ruiz each had two hits for Arkansas. Kentucky’s Hudson Brown went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. Kentucky reliever Leighton Harris (0-1) took the loss, while Wildcats freshman Braxton Van Cleave stretchered off the field after a nasty collision.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
