Just as it has all season, the Arkansas Razorbacks pitching staff came up clutch in a big game.
Facing South Carolina on the road, the Arkansas offense could only muster four hits and two runs in Friday’s series opener, but the Hogs’ pitchers were on the money.
Hagen Smith once again put together an incredible outing, giving up just one run on two hits and striking out 11 Gamecock batters over six innings of work, as No. 2 Arkansas beat No. 20 South Carolina, 2-1.
Smith’s ERA for the season is now down to a minute 1.53 over 53 total innings, and opposing hitters have an average of just .136 against him. He’s fanned 100 batters in his 10 starts, an average of 10 strikeouts per outing.
Arkansas’ bullpen also held up its end of the bargain in Friday’s contest, as Gabe Gaeckle threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five South Carolina hitters and setting it up for Stone Hewlett to get the final man out.
Hewlett did just that, and Arkansas’ defense once more prevailed against another elite SEC foe.
With Arkansas’ incredibly average offensive numbers so far this year, the Hogs’ pitching and defense is clearly the reason they remain one of the top teams in the country.
Arkansas’ 33-5 overall mark and 13-3 record in SEC play can all be traced back to incredible performance after incredible performance put forth by both its starting pitchers and relievers.
Arkansas has had flashy offenses in years past, and there’s certainly not a lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball. In some seasons, your offense isn’t going to be anything special. Teams with a lack of pitching depth usually crumble in those seasons.
Arkansas, however, has come to be known as the place where opposing hitters come to not only swing and miss, but to strike out.