University of Tennessee Athletics
Ninth-inning rally comes up short
April 18, 2008 | Baseball
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ??? A ninth-inning Tennessee rally came up one run short Friday as the 30th-ranked Volunteers baseball team dropped a 5-4 decision to Arkansas at Baum Stadium. Vols sophomore Nick Hernandez pitched an eight-inning complete game, but UT left the bases loaded in the ninth while falling to 22-15 (9-7 SEC).
In his career-long outing, Hernandez allowed five runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks. The Miami, Fla., native dropped to 1-3 on the year with the loss, but he raised his season strikeout-to-walk ratio to an impressive 5.6. He has issued just seven free passes through 54 1/3 innings of action this season while totaling 39 Ks.
The Vols out-hit the Razorbacks (21-16, 6-9 SEC) 13-8 in the losing effort. SEC Freshman of the Year candidate Kentrail Davis led UT with three hits, while four different Vols each collected a pair of hits. Tennessee stranded nine baserunners in the game, however, while Arkansas left only three men on the basepaths.
???Nick did everything we needed him to do,??? UT head coach Todd Raleigh said. ???He pitched well enough to win. We had our chances. We left nine on, they left three on. We had the bases loaded in the ninth with our three and four hitters up. You have to put a ball in play there.???
Tennessee dealt the first blow Friday when right fielder Josh Liles plated left fielder Shawn Griffin with an RBI single in the top of the second inning. Griffin had previously reached on a double before taking third on a wild pitch by Arkansas starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel.
Razorbacks designated hitter Jeff Nutt answered in the bottom of the second with a solo homer off the scoreboard in right-center, but the Vols reclaimed their one-run lead in the third when first baseman Jeff Lockwood scored from third on a double-play ball.
Arkansas senior Aaron Murphree delivered a two-out, pinch-hit triple in the fifth that drove in a pair and gave the Razorbacks their first lead of the game. But Vols catcher Yan Gomes???who entered the weekend boasting UT???s top batting average in SEC play at .391???made sure that lead was short-lived, as the sophomore belted a solo homer to lead off the sixth. It was Gomes??? fifth home run of the season and the 13th of his career.
Liles made a fantastic diving catch in the outfield to rob Arkansas third baseman Logan Forsythe of what initially looked to be a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth. Liles got a great jump on the ball and sprinted hard toward the right-center gap before laying out to make the grab.
Neither team managed to base on balls a walk until Vols shortstop Danny Lima drew a one-out walk in the top of the seventh. Second baseman Andy Simunic then followed with another walk to give Tennessee a pair of one-out baserunners. That marked the end of Keuchel???s day, as Arkansas summoned reliever Stephen Richards to the mound. Richards recorded back-to-back strikeouts to squelch the threat.
Razorbacks catcher Ryan Cisterna broke the 3-3 tie with a two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh. Cisterna???s second hit of the game would give Arkansas all the offense it would need.
A stingy Richards struck out the first five batters he faced until Liles led off the top of the ninth with a basehit up the middle. Lockwood followed with a single through the left side of the infield, putting the potential tying run on first base.
Lima then sent a chopping RBI single over Forsythe???s head at third, enabling pinch-runner Daniel Beasley to score from second base and make it a one-run game with no outs. Arkansas extinguished Lockwood at third when Simunic reached on a fielder???s choice, and UT centerfielder Kentrail Davis then laid down a bunt single to load the bases with one out.
Richards got Gomes to strike out swinging, however, and then induced a game-ending flyball off the bat of Vols third baseman Cody Brown.
Keuchel???s final line included three runs on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts through 6 1/3 innings. The lefty was saddled with a no-decision, however, as Richards picked up the win to improve to 2-3 on the year. In 2 2/3 innings, Richards allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts.
The series resumes Saturday at 2:05 p.m. CT. Redshirt freshman left-hander Bryan Morgado (4-2, 3.04 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Tennessee opposite Arkansas right-hander Justin Wells (3-0, 4.82 ERA).
