By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ offense had struggled during its five-game road trip to Louisiana last week, prompting coach Dave Van Horn to challenge his group before it opened its three-game series with Alabama.
He said the Razorbacks weren’t coming up with big hits at key moments. He was tired of watching players strike out with runners on base. And he wanted it to change before the Hogs played the Crimson Tide.
There was one player Van Horn wasn’t critical of when he was lamenting the struggles, though. And it was the one player who came up with the game’s biggest hits in Arkansas’ 9-8 win against Alabama on Friday night.
Third baseman Zack Cox went 3-for-5 with a career-high 6 RBIs in the 16th-ranked Razorbacks’ (16-5, 2-2 in Southeastern Conference) come-from-behind win in front of 7,947 in Baum Stadium on Friday night.
Cox’s three-run home run was part of a five-run fifth inning that tied the game the first time. He also delivered a bases-loaded double to drive in three more to tie the game in the eighth, then scored the game-winner a few minutes later after an Alabama error.
“These are the kind of performances you have to have to come back and win games like that,” Van Horn said of Cox. “You have to have somebody carry you.”
Said first baseman Andy Wilkins: “The ‘C’ on his jersey might just mean clutch. … He was just huge.”
Cox entered the game as the SEC’s second-leading hitter and continued his hot streak against the 20th-ranked Crimson Tide (16-4, 2-2). The Razorbacks needed it after falling into a 5-0 hole thanks to two first-inning errors by shortstop Matt Reynolds and a tough night for starting pitcher Mike Bolsinger.
But Cox helped the Razorbacks regain some life by clubbing a three-run home run over the left field fence in the fifth inning. Monk Kreder followed with a double and Andy Wilkins, who had been in a 2-for-18 slump, hit a two-run shot to right field to tie it up.
“It would be easy to just take a five-run deficit against Alabama and just go down,” Cox said. “Those guys are so good. But we came back and we battled.”
Said Kreder: “That’s the most intense we’ve been in the dugout. … We expect to win every ballgame.”
But the Razorbacks fell behind once again after Alabama scored runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Crimson Tide held an 8-5 lead going to the bottom of the eighth when reliever Brett Whitaker (1-1) ran into trouble by walking three straight batters with one out. He got Brett Eibner to fly out to right field, but it brought Cox to the plate once again.
Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard urged Whitaker to be careful with Cox. But after falling behind 2-0 in the count, Whitaker threw a strike that Cox belted to the outfield wall and scored all three runners on base.
“We went into the game with his name circled and highlighted and everything else – he is not going to be the guy to beat us,” Gaspard said of Cox. “It’s a learning lesson. If it’s a great player and guy that is circled, you can’t allow that to happen because that will happen 9 out of 10 times.”
The wild night — which featured five errors, several Arkansas disagreements with umpires and a bench-clearing incident — wasn’t over. Cox scored the go-ahead run when Kreder hit a sharp grounder that went right through shortstop Josh Rutledge’s legs.
Arkansas took the 9-8 lead — it’s first of the night — into the ninth inning. Closer DJ Baxendale came out of the bullpen and, after allowing one runner on base, wrapped up the win with a game-ending double play.
“I’m just glad to see our guys respond,” Van Horn said. “Down 5-0 we could’ve rolled over. But there was some serious attitude in our dugout and I’m sure (Saturday) will be another good game.”
And the Razorbacks will count on another big day at the plate from Cox, who has hit safely in all 21 games this season. The sophomore is now batting .430 this season and is approaching the longest hitting streak in school history, which stands at 30 games.
“It’s unreal,” Kreder said of Cox. “We’re feeding off of it. He’s been huge for us and he was huge for us again (Friday). He’s kind of been the catalyst.”
Around the Horn
Arkansas and Alabama were involved in a benches-clearing incident in the seventh, which started after Alabama’s Brandt Hendricks was caught in a rundown and tagged out at third base by Cox. Hendricks and catcher James McCann exchanged words, which brought both teams out of the dugout. Order was quickly restored. “There were some words said,” Van Horn said. “It started on the other side. I’m going to say that because that’s what I was told. It happens. It’s conference play.” … TJ Forrest (3-0) rejoined the team after remaining in Louisiana to undergo medical tests on Thursday. He pitched 2/3 of an inning after coming out of the bullpen in the eighth and earned the win. … Wilkins home run in the fifth was the 35th of his career. He moves into fifth place on the school’s all-time list.
