By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has followed a successful pattern for winning games the past few weeks.
The Razorbacks fall behind in the early innings, shrug off the slow start, then lean on their powerful offense to complete a comeback.
But Arkansas finally ran into a deficit that was too much to overcome Friday night.
Kentucky jumped all over the Razorbacks in the early innings and leaned on its bullpen and a late offensive spurt to beat Arkansas 12-8 in front of an announced crowd of 3,976 in Baum Stadium.
It snapped Arkansas’ seven-game win streak and put the Wildcats in position to win a Southeastern Conference series for the first time this season.
“We got too far down too early to a good team,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said.
The Razorbacks allowed a season-high in runs and hits (17) Friday night, struggling to slow down a Kentucky attack not necessarily known for its power.
Arkansas starter Mike Bolsinger (3-1) suffered the brunt of the abuse. Kentucky (18-9, 2-5 in SEC) attacked the right-hander immediately, getting eight runs on nine hits during his 2 1/3 innings Friday.
The Wildcats built an 8-0 lead by plating runs nearly every way conceivable. They hit singles, clubbed doubles and smashed home runs. Kentucky also had success getting runners into scoring position, laying down sacrifice bunts in the early innings.
“Sometimes the game goes that way,” Kentucky coach Gary Henderson said. “I’m sure Mike was off a little bit, but we did a nice job of being aggressive when he wasn’t at his best and we took advantage of it.”
The success — which came for a team not exactly known as a powerful offensive group — didn’t put the Razorbacks (20-6, 4-3) away. In fact, Arkansas began clawing away at the ‘Cats lead by scoring four runs — all with two outs — in the bottom of the third.
The Hogs got another off Kentucky starter Logan Darnell — again with two outs — in the fourth to close to 8-5. But Henderson made a pitching change and it was successful in ending Arkansas’ threat.
Reliever Nick Kennedy (2-1) stepped in and got out of the inning without throwing a pitch. He faked a pick-off throw to third, turned and fired the ball to first, catching third baseman Zack Cox off the bag.
“I think the pick-off was good, but more importantly, they didn’t get any more runs (in the inning),” Henderson said. “The key points was that they didn’t score any more when we brought him in.”
Said Van Horn: “The guy did a great job. … What can you say, it was a good play.”
But Arkansas made one more run at the Wildcats by scoring loading the bases with no outs in the seventh inning. The Razorbacks managed to push two runs across the plate to make it 9-7, but that was it.
Kentucky tacked on three more runs and got solid work from Kennedy, who allowed three runs on two hits in 4 1/3 innings in relief, the rest of the way.
Designated hitter Braden Kapteyn led the Wildcats at the plate by going 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Cory Farris, Andy Burns and Gunner Glad also hit home runs for the Wildcats, who had lost four of five entering the weekend series with the Razorbacks.
Cox, whose hitting streak ended at 24 games Wednesday night, went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Andy Wilkins went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs.
Arkansas will try to bounce back this afternoon when it sends left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly (2-0, 1.69 ERA) to the mound at 2:05. He will start opposite Kentucky lefty Taylor Rogers (3-0, 3.18).
“We just our starters to do a better job,” Van Horn said of his pitching staff.
Around the Bases
Arkansas hitting coach Todd Butler was ejected in the ninth inning for arguing balls and strikes. Van Horn took replaced Butler as the Razorbacks’ third base coach. … Right fielder Jarrod McKinney, starting for the first time since March 24, went 0-for-3 at the plate. However, the sophomore saved a run in the fourth inning by firing a strike to gun down Kentucky’s Gunner Glad at the plate. … Van Horn said after the game that freshman outfield Matt Vinson (spleen) has been cleared to play if needed the rest of the weekend. Freshman infielder Matt Reynolds (shin) will not be available this weekend.
