University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Arkansas
Complete Game Lifts Vols To 9-3 Win Over Arkansas
April 30, 2004 | Baseball
April 30, 2004
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Tennessee turned a nifty defensive play into the spark it needed to rally for a 9-3 win over Arkansas before 5,143 here Friday.
Sophomore Eli Iorg provided the fielding gem and then backed it up with two hits and two RBIs to support the five-hit pitching of freshman Craig Cobb, who went the distance in his SEC starting debut.
"I just saw it and went and got it," Iorg said of the drive off Arkansas catcher Brady Toops' bat. "It was going to be a fair ball so I'm glad I was able to get to it. This was a game we needed because we haven't been playing like we want."
The opening stanza of Cobb's first career SEC start was a tough one. Pitching in place of lefthander Derek Tharpe -- UT's regular Friday starter who suffered an elbow strain last week against LSU -- Cobb in the Arkansas first walked two, threw two wild pitches, allowed two hits and three runs. He made 27 pitches in that inning alone.
But the Knoxville native rebounded to set down 26 of the final 30 batters he faced, including one stretch of 12 straight from the third through the seventh.
"I guess it was just butterflies (in the first) because I couldn't get anything to the plate," Cobb said. "Once we got out of that, I settled down and Eli starts off the second inning with just an unbelievable play. From then on, I found my groove and just let my defense work."
Iorg made his diving stab deep along the left field line. Arkansas led 3-0 at the time and would have opened the second with a leadoff runner at second.
Cobb, 4-1, finished with four strikeouts and walked three. He pitched seven innings in his only previous collegiate start, a March 10 victory over Niagara. The freshman's 13 other appearances had all come in relief.
Tennessee improved to 33-11 overall and 11-8 in the SEC, staying one game behind Florida in the Eastern Division standings. The Gators beat Auburn 7-4 Friday night. Arkansas dropped to 30-14 and 13-6, losing only its second league game in the last 12 outings.
UT took the lead for keeps with five runs in the fourth. The Vols bunched four singles, two of the infield variety, with a pair of walks for the damage. Chase Headley, Chris Kemp, Brian Cleveland and Nick Crowe had RBIs in the inning, with Cleveland plating the fifth run all the way from first base as Crowe was stuck in a run-down between first and second.
The Vols padded their lead in the fifth. After two were out, Kyle Norrid was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Alex Suarez's single, with Suarez moving to second on the throw. Iorg then followed with a two-run single to right.
Two final Tennessee runs crossed in the ninth, Suarez coming home on a wild pitch and Michael Rivera adding a pinch-hit RBI-single. The Vols finished the game with 10 hits, all singles.
Clint Brannon, 3-2, took the loss for Arkansas. He allowed seven earned runs on seven hits over five innings. Haas Pratt's two-run single highlighted the Razorbacks' three-run first inning. Friday's crowd was a Baum Stadium season-high.
Saturday's second game of the series begins at 6 p.m. Central time. Right-hander Sean Watson (4-2, 3.28) pitches for the Vols against Arkansas' Charlie Boyce (5-1, 3.32). Comcast Sports Southeast is carrying the telecast.
