#4 Arkansas Suffers First Home Sweep since 2016

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A late power surge by No. 4 Arkansas (19-10, 4-5 SEC) was not enough to pull past Florida (23-6, 6-3 SEC) in a 7-6 loss Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium as the Hogs were swept at home for the first time since 2016.

The Gators pounded the Razorback pitching staff for seven runs on 17 hits, including a pair of homers. Florida broke a 1-1 tie in the top of third with two runs and never looked back, holding off Arkansas on its way to the series-sweeping win.

Ryder Helfrick’s two-out two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning cut the Hogs’ deficit to one, but the Gators punched back with a run in the top of the eighth to extend their advantage to 7-5. Kuhio Aloy swatted a solo shot with one out in the bottom half of the eighth inning to bring Arkansas back within a run of evening up the game.

Florida, however, would survive the scare. After Carter Rutenbar’s two-out single, Arkansas put the game-tying run on third base in the bottom of the ninth but was unable to capitalize and send the contest into extra innings.

Rutenbar, who led off for the first time in his collegiate career, finished 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. He was one of two Razorbacks, along with Aloy (2-for-4, HR, RBI) and Zack Stewart (2-for-4, RBI), with a multi-hit game Sunday.

On the mound, starter Colin Fisher lasted 2.1 innings and then gave way to the bullpen. The lefty allowed three runs on six hits with two strikeouts before Tate McGuire allowed three runs on six hits with two strikeouts in relief of him.

Ethan McElvain (2.1 IP, 0 R, 4 SO), Mark Brissey (1.0 IP, 1 R, 2 SO) and Parker Coil (1.0 IP, 0 R, 2 SO) combined for 4.1 innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts after emerging from Arkansas’ bullpen. With his 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, McElvain lowered his season ERA to a miniscule 0.68 in 13.1 innings with 21 strikeouts across seven outings.

Up next, the Razorbacks hit the road for four consecutive games. Arkansas will travel to square off against Missouri State at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, on ESPN+ in Springfield, Mo., at Hammons Field before continuing on to Auburn, Ala., for an SEC road weekend series against Auburn, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 2, on ESPN2.

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