Game 42 Thread: #24 Arkansas (25-16) vs. Northwestern State (22-17)

[ucahogfan]

First pitch is set for 6:35 PM.  Tonight's game will not be televised.  Arkansas is sending Sophomore LHP Colin Poche (3-0, 1.71 ERA) to the mound to make his 6th start of the season.  The Demons are countering with Junior RHP Brandon Smith (0-1, 3.96 ERA) who will be making his second start of the year.  DVH is facing his former team for the second time this season as he had a stop at NSU from 1995-1997 where he went 106-65.  Northwestern State is known as a coaching hot bed as current SEC HCs Dave Van Horn, Mitch Gaspard (Alabama), and John Cohen (Miss State) were the HCs from 1995-2007 while Rob Childress (TAMU) was DVH's pitching coach at Northwestern State.  I should be able to do PBP this evening.

[bighog2255]

Looking at their box scores from midweek games, looks like they will use 4-5 pitchers to get 9 innings. Don't be surprised to see their starter go 2-3 innings.

Would be nice to get 5-6 innings out of Poche tonight.

[dotnet]

A lot of the pitchers haven't pitched in two weeks... I think DVH will have a quick hook both games this week - especially tomorrow if Poche pitches well tonight.

I think he wants to get Tacolini, Teague, Simpson, Lowery, Fallwell, etc. some action.

[bighog2255]

A lot of the pitchers haven't pitched in two weeks... I think DVH will have a quick hook both games this week - especially tomorrow if Poche pitches well tonight.

I think he wants to get Tacolini, Teague, Simpson, Lowery, Fallwell, etc. some action.

I'm sure he does. But we need to score some runs to make that happen. The first objective is to win these 2 games

[pigture perfect]

I'm liking the Big Taco. Befor he leaves, Taco Bell should do a promotion for their XL Taco.

[ucahogfan]

Would be nice to get 5-6 innings out of Poche tonight.

If, and it's a big if, Poche consistently fills up the zone and doesn't walk hitters then he should be able to easily do that and could get 7+ in depending on how long DVH wants him to go.

[TikiHog]

heading to the ballpark for some tailgating...lets get another win tonight

[Razorbacks#1]

Go RAZORBACKS!

[A_R_K_A_N_S_A_S]

WWWWWWWWWWWWOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

PIG

SSSSSSSSsssssssssssssssoooooooooooooooooooooiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

[ucahogfan]

[ucahogfan]

Northwestern State Starting Lineup
Gomez             2B
Dugas              1B
Brinson             LF
Daughdrill         3B
Lyons               RF
Webster            C
Richard             DH
Atkinson           SS
Heath               CF

On the mound - Junior RHP Brandon Smith (0-1, 3.96 ERA)

[ucahogfan]

TEAM         1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9      R   H   E
NW State    0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0      0   0   0
Arkansas    0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0      0   0   0

LOB
Arkansas - 0
NW State - 0

[pigture perfect]

The air is right for a huge night.

[ucahogfan]

GAME ON!

[ucahogfan]

Gomez grounds out 1-6-3 as he hit it right back up the middle, but Poche deflected right to Bernal.

[ucahogfan]

Dugas lines the first pitch into right for a single.

[ucahogfan]

Brinson grounds out 4-3 on the 1st pitch as the ball wasn't hit hard enough to turn 2.

[ucahogfan]

Daughdrill HBP to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs.

[Hogpkins]

Do you believe DVH is taking these midweek games more seriously this year, seeing as how the midweek losses have really seemed to hurt us in post-season seeding? In the past didn't he tend to let some backups get in the lineup?

[ucahogfan]

Lyons grounds out 5-3.

[ucahogfan]

TEAM         1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9      R   H   E
NW State    0                                            0   1   0
Arkansas                                                   0   0   0

LOB
Arkansas - 0
NW State - 2

Up for the Hogs
Spoon
Benintendi
Serrano

[ucahogfan]

Spoon caught looking on a pitch that painted the white of the opposite batter's box, but the P hit the C's glove.

[ucahogfan]

Benintendi doubles down the RF line.  Benintendi's 7th double of the year.

[Hogpkins]

Beni has gotten really hot with the bat.

[ucahogfan]

Serrano drops a single into no-mans land between the 2B and the RF.  Benintendi has to hold at 3B as Serrano put it in the only place the 2B or the RF couldn't catch it.

[A_R_K_A_N_S_A_S]

Razorbacks are 11-2 when scoring at least 1 run in the first inning.

[Razorbacks#1]

So close

[ucahogfan]

Anderson sac fly to the track in dead CF.  Benintendi scores and Serrano tags and moves to 2nd.  Anderson's 34th RBI of the year.

1-0 Hogs.

[SPAL]

Great play be the CF. Excellent

[ucahogfan]

Bax singles into left.  Serrano scores.  Baxendale's 14th RBI of the year.

2-0 Hogs.

[A_R_K_A_N_S_A_S]

Beni has gotten really hot with the bat.

With that hit his BA is now .288

[ucahogfan]

Fisher chases a breaking ball in the dirt.

[JHicks3636]

Bax singles into left.  Serrano scores.  Baxendale's 14th RBI of the year.

Plus he hit a curve. Maybe a good sign as they have been eating him up.

[SPAL]

Kids gotta tough breaking ball

[ucahogfan]

TEAM         1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9      R   H   E
NW State    0                                            0   1   0
Arkansas    2                                             2   3   0

LOB
Arkansas - 1
NW State - 2

[A_R_K_A_N_S_A_S]

Bax singles into left.  Serrano scores.  Baxendale's 14th RBI of the year.

Again...timely hitting by Bax

[ucahogfan]

Beni has gotten really hot with the bat.

You don't hit .500 each of your 4 years in high school without being able to flat out hit.  Plus, he was national player of the year last year by one publication.  He also played CF on the Midland Redskins when he was like 16 which only 2 other people have ever done and both played in the MLB and one was only Ken Griffey Jr.

[ucahogfan]

Webster works the count full, and he grounds out 5-3.

[ucahogfan]

Richard works the count full, and he swings through a fastball.  Poche's 1st K.

[ucahogfan]

Atkinson HBP as it appears he leaned into the pitch.

[ucahogfan]

Atkinson steals 2nd as Wise had no chance to get him.

[ucahogfan]

Heath grounds out 4-3.

[ucahogfan]

TEAM         1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9      R   H   E
NW State    0   0                                       0   1   0
Arkansas    2                                             2   3   0

LOB
Arkansas - 1
NW State - 3

Up for the Hogs
Wernes
Wise
Bernal

[ucahogfan]

Plus he hit a curve. Maybe a good sign as they have been eating him up.

At least 2 of his hits came on breaking balls this past weekend.  He does a good job of making pitchers pay for hanging breaking balls, but still has trouble chasing them.

[A_R_K_A_N_S_A_S]

Atkinson steals 2nd as Wise had no chance to get him.

Bernal looked shocked that the runner got to the base before the ball did, has not happened much this year.

[ucahogfan]

Wernes singles into right.

[SPAL]

Fisted that one into right

[tennesseehogwild]

Heath grounds out 4-3.

Quietly Anderson has had a really good year in the field. Last year's struggles are hopefully a distant memory.

[kennymayne]

Man, Wernes doesn't pull anything.

[ucahogfan]

Bernal looked shocked that the runner got to the base before the ball did, has not happened much this year.

He got a good jump on a slow curve in the dirt.  I think Bax could have stolen 2nd in that situation even with Wise behind the plate.