Razorbacks blank Missouri 6-0 to clinch SEC series in Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. — A night after nearly letting a series opener slip away, No. 24 Arkansas came out and left no doubt.

The Razorbacks delivered a clean, complete-game-style performance Friday night at Taylor Stadium, shutting out Missouri 6-0 to claim the series and improve to 29-15 overall and 11-9 in Southeastern Conference play.

The Tigers fell to 20-23 on the season and a troubling 3-17 in conference action.

Arkansas did it the right way — behind dominant pitching, smart baserunning and an offense that made the necessary adjustments when it mattered most.

It was the kind of road win that builds confidence heading into a stretch run with postseason seeding on the line.

A day earlier, Missouri had pushed the Hogs to the edge.

The Tigers left the tying run on first base in the bottom of the ninth of a 5-4 Arkansas victory in the series opener, making it clear they weren’t going to roll over at home.

That carried into the pregame conversation for Game 2, with the Razorbacks sending sophomore left-hander Cole Gibler to the mound against Missouri’s fellow southpaw Brady Kehlenbrink.

Gibler answered the call.

The sophomore was at his best, spinning six innings of one-hit baseball.

He struck out five and walked three while keeping the Tigers off the basepaths in any threatening way — Missouri didn’t get a runner past second base during his entire outing.

Gibler even handled a 30-minute wait in the dugout while Arkansas scored three times in the top of the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 5-0, then came back out and kept rolling. It was his finest start as a Razorback and pushed his record to 4-1 on the season.

Kehlenbrink, meanwhile, was dealing through the first three innings. He punched out seven batters and didn’t issue a walk during that stretch, making the Razorbacks look uncomfortable at the plate.

But Arkansas’ coaching staff made adjustments between trips through the order and the offense found a way. The Hogs struck out just three times after the third inning, eventually chasing Kehlenbrink in the sixth.

It’s the kind of in-game adaptability that’s become a calling card for Dave Van Horn’s club in the second half of the season.

The scoring started in the fourth when Camden Kozeal got hold of a Kehlenbrink pitch and launched his 12th home run of the year to right field, putting Arkansas up 2-0.

Kozeal had added a bunt single earlier in the inning to set the table, and Maika Niu followed with a stolen base. The Hogs didn’t cash in immediately but the momentum had shifted.

Then came the sixth.

Ryder Helfrick singled to left and Kozeal followed right behind him with another hit through the same spot, pushing Helfrick to third. That brought Eli Skidmore out of the Mizzou bullpen to replace Kehlenbrink.

Niu stepped in and — after failing twice to get a bunt down — drove a double into the right-center gap, plating Helfrick and moving Kozeal to third. Nolan Souza then drew a walk to load the bases, which brought up Zack Stewart, inserted into the lineup as a pinch hitter.

He made the most of it, lining a single to shallow center to score two more runs and push the lead to 5-0. The Hogs stranded two more runners before the inning ended but the damage was done.

Razorbacks’ Pen Closes the Door

Steele Eaves took over from Gibler in the seventh and was equally sharp. The former Lonoke Jackrabbit hadn’t been at his best in his recent conference outings but he answered the bell Friday.

He scattered just one hit over three innings to close out the game and earned his first save of the season — and his first career save as a Razorback.

Arkansas added a final insurance run in the eighth when Souza reached on a fielding error, stole second and scored on a Reese Robinett single up the middle off a hanging curveball.

Robinett promptly stole second base as well, pushing the Hogs’ stolen base total on the night to four.

The aggressive running game consistently put pressure on Missouri’s pitching staff, which was slow to the plate throughout the evening.

Kozeal and Helfrick each went 2-for-4 to pace the lineup, with Niu also collecting two hits. Helfrick’s one-out single to center in the ninth inning gave Arkansas 10 hits on the game.

The Hogs left 10 runners on base but advanced runners when it counted and made enough contact to keep the scoreboard moving.

The final line told the full story of Arkansas 6, Missouri 0.

It’s the kind of result that stamps this group as a legitimate road team capable of handling business in difficult environments.

The Razorbacks had a chance to sweep Missouri on Saturday in a 2 p.m. first pitch at Taylor Stadium, with the game set to air on the SEC Network.