Home runs lift No. 6 Arkansas over Northwestern State, 19-2

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – The Northwestern State baseball team ran into a buzz saw Tuesday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

No. 6/8 Arkansas belted five home runs and produced five multi-run innings en route to a 19-2 win against the Demons in a game that ended in the top of the ninth because of a thunderstorm that began in the bottom of the eighth.

“They’re white-hot,” third-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. “Sweeping Mississippi State and scoring a bunch of runs against the arms they have, they showed it here tonight. I haven’t seen that well executed an offense in a long time. They did a really good job. We’ve got to come out ready to play (Wednesday). We have to continue to stick the ball in the strike zone. It’s hard when they’re hitting the ball all over the park, but we have to stick the ball in the strike zone and know we have bigger things ahead.”

The Demons (23-16) put their share of pressure on Arkansas starter Kole Ramage (7-1) but were unable to string much together until the fifth inning when Lenni Kunert and Marshall Skinner started the inning with back-to-back singles.

Two batters later, Sam Taylor’s single through the right side brought home the Demons’ first run of the game.

Unfortunately for Northwestern State, the rally came when it was trailing 9-0.

After a scoreless first inning, the Razorbacks (31-10) unleased their offense, which entered the game hitting .299, a mark that ranks 22^nd nationally.

Jordan McFarland started the home run surge with an opposite-field, two-run shot in the second inning off Kyle Swanson (0-2), breaking a scoreless tie. McFarland’s first home run of the year highlighted a three-run second inning after Swanson had worked around a two-out, first-inning walk to put up a zero.

Arkansas added two more runs on back-to-back home runs in the third as Heston Kjerstad’s solo shot to center field drove Swanson from the game. Jose Vasquez entered and gave up a solo home run to Jake Kenley on his first pitch.

The Razorbacks remained relentless offensively, striking for four runs in the fourth inning before right-hander Evan Daigle was able to slow the momentum by posting scoreless fifth and sixth innings.

Northwestern State’s offense built off those two scoreless frames as Taylor again delivered an RBI single in the seventh to again score Kunert, who led off the inning with a double.

Taylor and Kunert combined to go 4-for-8 with both Demons’ runs and both RBIs.

“I think our first six hits were to the middle or the opposite field against guys throwing 90 to 94 miles per hour,” Barbier said. “If we take that approach into this weekend, and obviously into (Wednesday), I think we’ll have a lot of success.”

The series concludes at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher.

No. 6/8 Arkansas 19, Northwestern State 2, 8 innings

NSU       000 010 10 – 2 8 1

Arkansas            032 400 55 – 19 18 1

W – Kole Ramage (7-1). L – Kyle Swanson (0-2). 2B – NSU, Tyler Smith; Lenni Kunert. UA, Matt Goodheart; Heston Kjerstad; Zack Plunkett 3; Curtis Washington. 3B – UA, Casey Martin. HR – UA, Dominic Fletcher (7); Kjerstad (10); Jake Kenley (8); Jordan McFarland (1); Washington (1). Highlights: NSU, Sam Taylor 2-4, 2 RBIs; Kunert 2-4, 2B. UA, Goodheart 2-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; Fletcher 2-5, HR, 2 RBIs; Kjerstad 3-4, 2B, HR RBI; Kenley 2-5, HR, 3 RBIs; McFarland 2-6, HR, 3 RBIs; Plunkett 3-4, 3 2Bs, RBI; Washington 3-6, 2B, HR, RBI.

Records: Northwestern State 23-16; Arkansas 31-10.