FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas scratched and clawed back from five runs down to tie the game in the sixth inning Sunday afternoon and for a moment, Baum-Walker Stadium had all the makings of a series-sweep celebration.
Oklahoma had other plans.
No. 24 Oklahoma (31-18, 13-14 SEC) broke through for 15 runs on 13 hits, including five home runs and seven walks in the series finale, salvaging a win to close out the weekend.
The final score was 15-10 and the No. 17 Razorbacks (34-18, 15-12 SEC) were unable to complete the sweep of the Sooners, though the Hogs secured a series win in their final SEC home weekend of the season.
It was a tough ending to what had been a competitive and at times electric afternoon in Fayetteville.
The loss was part of a bi-polar looking Arkansas team that has either been without pitching or hitting too many times this season.
That could cause problems trying to make a deep postseason run.
Early Deficit Tests Hogs’ Resolve
The Razorbacks didn’t make life easy on themselves from the start.
Oklahoma tagged starter Cole Gibler for five runs in his two innings of work on the hill and Arkansas’s bullpen fared no better in relief, allowing 10 runs — nine earned — on 10 hits, five walks and an error.
That’s a tough combination to overcome against any team, let alone one sitting at No. 24 nationally.
Trailing 5-0 entering the bottom of the third inning, the Hogs began chipping away at the deficit before eventually tying the game at seven in the sixth.
The comeback wasn’t immediate, but it was real and it had the ballpark buzzing.
TJ Pompey belted his first of two home runs on the afternoon in the bottom of the third inning.
It was the kind of swing the Razorbacks needed to spark some life and it started a sequence of momentum swings that made this game far more interesting than a 5-0 deficit might suggest.
Kozeal and Aloy Keep Rally Alive
Camden Kozeal swatted a three-run homer which was the team-leading 16th long ball of the season in the bottom of the fifth to help claw Arkansas back into the game.
That swing shifted the energy in Baum-Walker considerably, suddenly making what felt like a comfortable Sooner lead feel very much in question.
Kuhio Aloy then connected on a 112 mph solo shot, his ninth home run of the season, to lead off the sixth inning.
Aloy’s blast was followed later in the same frame by a Pompey two-run single that completed the comeback. Pompey’s two-run single tied the ballgame at 7-7, breathing new life into the fans.
That’s the kind of inning coaches dream about. The problem is what came next.
Oklahoma’s Seventh Inning Shuts Door
Oklahoma responded with a seven-run top half of the seventh to extinguish the Razorbacks’ threat. Just like that, the momentum was gone.
It was the defining sequence of the afternoon — and the one Arkansas couldn’t recover from.
The Hogs didn’t fold completely.
Arkansas added a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch and a two-out single before Pompey launched his second homer of the game in the eighth.
The deficit was simply too wide by that point.
Pompey Puts Together Career Afternoon
Even in defeat, TJ Pompey gave Razorback fans plenty to feel good about heading into the postseason.
The Razorback third baseman finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI, raising his slash line to .279/.356/.584 with 14 homers, good for third most on the team and 33 RBI this season.
Kozeal’s Numbers Continue to Impress
Kozeal’s contributions didn’t stop at the three-run shot.
He finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run and three RBI while collecting his team-leading 19th multi-hit game and 19th multi-RBI effort of the season in Sunday’s setback.
The numbers behind those totals tell the story of just how central Kozeal has been to this Arkansas offense all year.
The Razorback shortstop is slashing .304/.388/.627 and leads the team in nearly every major offensive category, including runs scored (48), hits (62), home runs (16), RBI (60) and total bases (128) this year.
Next: A Road Trip to Lexington
The regular season isn’t over yet and Arkansas heads into next week with something significant still to play for.
The Hogs will close out the regular season and their SEC slate next weekend at Kentucky in need of a sweep to reach the 18-win mark in conference play for the league-best ninth straight season.
First pitch in the series opener between Arkansas and Kentucky (30-18, 12-15 SEC) is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Hogs are seeking their first series win against the Wildcats in Lexington since 2019.
It won’t be easy. Road series wins in the SEC rarely are.
