Arkansas Falls to Louisiana Monroe

UA SPORTS INFORMATION FAYETTEVILLE " Bo Bigham hit his first career home run in the second inning but that was all the offense that the No. 5 University of Arkansas baseball team could come up with as they lost their first one-run game of the season, 3-2, to the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Baum Stadium on Tuesday night. The Razorbacks (24-9) lose their third straight game while Louisiana-Monroe (22-12) knocks off its second SEC opponent of the season. For the seventh straight game the Razorbacks fell behind as the Warhawks plated one run in the top of the second inning. With runners on the corners and no outs, Brett Eibner induced a 6-4-3 ground ball double play that Arkansas gladly turned and allowed the run to score. The page then turned to the Razorback offense which started with a one-out single down the right field line by Collin Kuhn. Bigham then took his second pitch and hit a shot to right-center field that hit the Arvest Bank sign on the scoreboard to give Arkansas a 2-1 lead. Bighams long fly was his fourth hit of the season and second extra-base hit. The Warhawks tied the game at two in the top of the third on a home run of their own, this one by Perry Smith who launched an Eibner pitch to right-center. After the scoring of the first three innings, neither team could muster much offense as the pitchers from both teams placed zeros on the scoreboard. Arkansas turned to Sam Murphy in the fourth who tossed three innings of no-hit baseball while allowing just one walk and working his way out of a jam when he entered the game with two runners on and no outs. Louisiana-Monroe hung with their starter Keith Christensen who ended up with a complete game victory. Louisiana-Monroe broke the 2-2 tie in the eighth inning on another solo home run, this one by Boomer Blanchard who took a 2-1 pitch with two outs over the left-center field wall and into the Hog Pen to give the Warhawks a 3-2 lead. The Razorbacks did manage eight hits against Louisiana-Monroe but stranded seven base runners in the loss. Kuhn and senior Scott Lyons each had two hits for the Razorbacks while Chase Leavitt, Andy Wilkins, Tim Carver and Bigham each had one. On the defensive side of the ball, freshman catcher James McCann continues to impress the Arkansas coaching staff with his quick release against potential base stealers. McCann threw out two would-be swipers on Tuesday night and over the last three games he has thrown out six of seven runners and nine of 16 on the season. The Razorbacks and Warhawks complete their series on Wednesday afternoon with a 3:05 p.m. start. For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.