Arkansas’s eighth-inning magic strikes again, this time 450 feet away

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Zack Stewart knew he hadn’t had the best night.

He’d gone 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, including a swing and miss that stranded the bases loaded in the first inning. But when the moment called for it Thursday, the Lebanon, Mo., native answered — 113 miles from home.

Stewart connected on a 450-foot, two-run shot to right field in the eighth inning to give No. 24 Arkansas a 5-3 lead, and the Razorbacks held on to beat Missouri 5-4 at Taylor Stadium to open their SEC series.

“The ‘I will’ mindset, I think that’s big for our team,” Stewart said. “I think all of us carry that and know that we’re never out of it, even if we’re having a bad day.”

It was his seventh homer as a Razorback, 51st of his career and his second in conference play.

Missouri digs an early hole

Things looked bleak for Arkansas early. Hunter Dietz walked the bases loaded in the first inning but escaped without allowing a run.

Missouri then jumped all over him in the bottom half.

Jase Woita led off with a 99 mph exit-velocity solo shot 405 feet to left and after Kam Durnin was hit by a pitch, Blaize Ward added a 92 mph, 348-foot opposite-field homer to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead after just four pitches in the inning.

“I didn’t think they were bad pitches,” Dietz said.

But the big left-hander settled in quickly. He spread out seven hits and a walk while striking out eight over seven innings, throwing 73 of 101 pitches for strikes.

“The number of strikes he threw was great,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “He got ahead, then he could nibble a little bit. When he got behind, he found a way to get back in by just pounding the zone.”

Dietz explained how he adjusted after that brutal opening frame.

“Definitely after the first inning, I started a lot of guys off with cutters,” Dietz said. “[Catcher] Ryder [Helfrick] does a really good job and I feel like I do a pretty good job of kind of seeing what I think the hitters [are] on early in the count.

“Whether I throw a cutter first pitch or fastball the first pitch, I can gauge their takes and their swings, see what they’re on, and that kind of sets up the whole at-bat.”

Arkansas claws back

The Hogs chipped away. TJ Pompey cut it to 3-1 with a 384-foot solo homer to right in the fifth. Then in the seventh, the Razorbacks loaded the pressure on Missouri starter Josh McDevitt.

Kuhio Aloy drew a walk, Reese Robinett doubled to right after both behind behind 0-2 first and freshman Carter Rutenbar followed with a two-run, two-out single up the middle to knot it at 3-3.

It’s the second straight game Rutenbar’s come through with a go-ahead hit, having also delivered a two-run single in the eighth against Missouri State on Tuesday.

Stewart wasn’t shy about his admiration for the freshman.

“That’s a grown man right there,” Stewart said. “He’s not a freshman, I can tell you that. His mindset, preparation, everything that goes into it, he’s not a freshman at all.”

McDevitt was strong overall with 11 strikeouts over 6⅓ innings, but the first inning cost him big. He walked the bases loaded and needed 31 pitches before escaping.

“McDevitt was really good,” Van Horn said. “He was throwing the ball hard and locating it once he got the first inning, and we struggled with it.”

Stewart delivers the knockout

Then came Stewart in the eighth. Down 1-2, he fouled off a pitch from Trey Lawrence before hammering a breaking ball 450 feet.

“He threw him one too many breaking balls and he hammered it,” Van Horn said. “Sometimes when you’re pitching to good hitters, you have to mix it up. If you let them see it too much and make just a little bit of a mistake, they usually get it and he did.”

It’s the fifth time this April that the Hogs have scored the winning run in the eighth inning and the second game in a row.

Closer Ethan McElvain came on in the ninth and walked Mateo Serna to begin the frame.

Donovan Jordan’s two-out pinch-hit single scored a run, but McElvain struck out pinch hitter Tyler Macon looking to end it and earn his fourth save.

Missouri has now lost eight straight and 27 consecutive SEC home games. The Tigers haven’t won a conference game at Taylor Stadium since May 2024.

“They were able to come up and get it done when we weren’t,” Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said.

The Razorbacks improve to 28-15 overall and 10-9 in SEC play. They’ll look to clinch the series Friday night at 7 p.m.