Hogs Sweep Aztecs; Van Horn Gets 1,000th Career Win
By: Arkansas Media Services
Updated: March 9, 2013
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn earned his 1,000th career
win on Saturday as No. 19 Arkansas swept a doubleheader vs. San Diego State at
Baum Stadium. The Razorbacks won game one of the doubleheader, 8-2, and
completed the sweep with a 4-1 win in the
nightcap.
With the
doubleheader sweep, the Razorbacks won all four games of their weekend series
vs. San Diego State. Arkansas improves to 11-5 with the twinbill sweep, while
San Diego State dropped to 7-9 with the pair of
losses.
Coach Van
Horn reached a major career milestone with the win in the first game of the
doubleheader. Coach Van Horn earned his 1,000th career victory in Arkansas' 8-2
victory. The Razorback skipper now has a career record of 1,001-468 in 25 years
of coaching, while his record at the UA is
416-228.
Tyler
Spoon had a hit in each game of the doubleheader to extend his hitting streak to
16 games. Spoon went 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored in the
first game and 1-for-4 in the second game. Jacob Mahan went 4-for-6 in the
doubleheader with a RBI and a run scored, while Eric Fisher went 3-for-7 with a
RBI and two runs scored.
Game 1
Recap: Killian tosses seven no hit innings as Arkansas wins
8-2
Freshman
right hander Trey Killian worked seven no hit innings and struck out seven as
Arkansas defeated San Diego State, 8-2, in the first game of Saturday's
doubleheader.
Killian
(2-1) was outstanding on the mound en route to earning his second win of the
season. Killian opened the game by retiring the first 17 batters he faced until
a two-out walk in the top of the sixth. In the seventh, Killian had a runner
reach via an error, but he induced a 4-6-3 double play from the next batter and
then struck out the last batter of the seventh to keep the no hitter intact. He
left after the seventh, striking out seven and just issuing the one walk in
seven innings.
Tyler
Wright retired both batters he faced in the top of the ninth, including one
strikeout.
San Diego
State starter Ryan Doran (2-2) took the loss, giving up three runs on eight hits
and striking out two in five innings.
At the
plate, Arkansas recorded 12 hits, its most hits in a game since the Razorbacks
had 15 hits in the series finale vs. Evansville on Feb. 24. Four different
players had multiple hits in the game, led by Jacob Mahan and Tyler Spoon, who
each had three hits. Mahan was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a RBI and a
run scored, while Spoon was 3-for-4 with his third homer of the season, two RBI
and two runs scored. Brian Anderson went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Eric Fisher
also had two hits and scored a run.
San Diego
State managed just two hits in the game. Tim Zier had a hit and a RBI, while
Mitch Bluman also added a hit.
Arkansas
struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, Fisher
doubled to the right-center field gap and he advanced to third on a ground out
by Jordan Farris. Brett McAfee drove home Fisher with an RBI infield single.
Mahan then sliced a double down the left field line and into the corner, scoring
McAfee from first base to put the Razorbacks on top
2-0.
The
Razorbacks added another run in the bottom of the fifth when Spoon led off the
inning with his third homer of the season, a solo blast over the wall in left
field.
Arkansas
broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Farris drew a
leadoff walk. McAfee laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the third baseman couldn't
field it, allowing McAfee to reach on an E5. Farris was able to take third on
the play when the Aztecs failed to cover the bag after the error. A walk to
Mahan loaded the bases for Joe Serrano, who was hit by a pitch to make the score
4-0. Spoon then grounded a single into left field to score McAfee and keep the
bases loaded for Anderson, who followed with a two-RBI single to center field to
stretch the lead to 7-0. Jake Wise closed the scoring in the inning with a
sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Spoon.
The Aztecs
didn't manage their first hit in the game until one out in the top of the eighth
when Bluman singled to right field off Colby Suggs. San Diego State would avoid
the shutout by scoring twice in the top of the ninth on a RBI single by Zier and
a RBI groundout by Justin Gheorghe.
Game 2
Recap: Four-run seventh lifts Arkansas to doubleheader
sweep
Arkansas
broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the bottom of the seventh as the
Razorbacks defeated San Diego State, 4-1, in the second game of Saturday's
doubleheader.
Randall
Fant, Michael Gunn and Barrett Astin combined to allow just one run on seven
hits in the contest. Michael Gunn (1-0) earned his first win of the season,
retiring all three batters he faced in his one inning of relief.
Randall
Fant started on the mound for the Razorbacks and pitched well, tossing six
shutout innings and giving up four hits with three strikeouts. Barrett Astin
closed the game by giving up a run on three hits and striking out a pair in two
innings.
San Diego
State reliever Bubba Derby (1-1) took the loss after allowing four runs on five
hits in 1.2 innings. Aztec starter Ethan Miller threw six scoreless innings and
struck out five, but received a no decision.
Along with
earning the win, Gunn also reached base all three times at the plate, going
2-for-2 and also drawing a walk. Jacob Morris had a two-RBI triple and scored a
run, while Eric Fisher and Brett McAfee also had a RBI in the
victory.
Danny
Sheehan had two hits and drove in a run to lead the Aztecs offensively. John
Spirk added a hit and scored a run.
Neither
team was able to get much going offensively until the bottom of the seventh,
when Arkansas broke through with four runs. With one out, Gunn walked and Jake
Wise singled to right to put runners on first and second. Fisher then lined a
single to center field, scoring Matt Vinson, who had pinch ran for Gunn, from
second base and advancing Wise to third. Fisher was able to take second on the
throw to the plate. Morris then ripped a triple into the left-center field
alley, scoring both Wise and Fisher to make the score 3-0. McAfee then laid down
a perfect safety squeeze bunt back to the pitcher. The SDSU pitcher attempted to
bare hand the ball and throw home, but he was unable to make the play as Morris
was safe at home and McAfee reached on an infield bunt
single.
San Diego
State didn't go quietly in the ninth, scoring a run and getting the tying run to
the plate. Spirk led off the inning with a single to right and then stole second
with one out. Jake Romanski lined a single to center field to advance Spirk to
third. Sheehan drove in a run with a single to right-center to trim the lead to
4-1. With Tyler France at the plate as the tying run, Astin induced a 6-4-3
double play to end the game and give Arkansas the series
sweep.
Arkansas
continues its nine-game homestand on Tuesday and Wednesday as it faces Alabama
A&M in a two-game series. Tuesday's game is set for a 6:35 p.m. start, while
first pitch for Wednesday's game is at 3:05 p.m.
