Comeback Bid Falls Short as Gators Escape With

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning but it wasn't enough as the fourth-ranked Florida Gators salvaged the final game of the three-game series at Baum Stadium on Sunday afternoon 11-10.
A crowd of 2,122 watched the 19th-ranked Razorbacks (35-14, 11-13 SEC) score nine runs over the final four innings to battle back from a 10-1 deficit.
"I'm really proud of our team," Arkansas Head Coach Dave Van Horn said. "They didn't quit. We got off to a miserable start on the mound, but they hung in there. It was fun to watch them compete there for the last four or five innings."
A base running mistake in the bottom of the ninth inning cost the Hogs. With the bases loaded and one out, Scott Hode single to right field scoring Craig Gentry. The right fielder's throw back into the infield hit Hode, who was rounding first base, and rolled into foul territory.
Danny Hamblin was on second base and saw the ball get away and broke for third base. Clint Arnold had stopped at third base, but once he saw Hamblin coming to third was forced to break for home.
The Florida first baseman retrieved the ball and threw home where Arnold dived in head first. The ball beat Arnold and the home plate umpire called him out even though Arnold appeared to slide around the tag.
With two runners on base and two outs, Clay Goodwin came to the plate and belted his fifth home run of the season to close the Gators' lead to 11-10. Chris Hollensworth followed with a double down the right-field line, but Ben Tschepikow was called out on strikes to end the game.
Tommy Boss (6-3) got the win for the Gators, who improve to 32-15 on the season and 15-9 in SEC play. Josh Smith took the loss for Arkansas after allowing four runs on three hits and walking three in one-plus inning of work.
Lee Land relieved Smith and allowed three more runs on three hits and the Hogs found themselves in a 7-0 hole after one-and-a-half innings.
Matt Laporta paced the Gators with three RBI, including his 18th home run of the season. Laporta's fourth-inning home run, off UA reliever Devin Collis, landed well foul beyond the left-field fence, but the third base umpire ruled it went around the fair pole.
"One more break our way, and we might have swept this thing," Van Horn said.
Adam Davis went 3-for-6 and Jeroloman went 3-for-4 to pace the Gators' 15-hit attack. Stephen Barton and Brian Leclerc also picked up two hits each for UF.
The Arkansas comeback started with five runs in the sixth inning that chased Boss from the game. The big blows in the inning were two-RBI singles by Tschepikow and Hode. The Gators also committed two errors that aided the Hogs' big inning.
Goodwin also plated Arkansas' first run in the second inning with a RBI single. He drove in four runs on the day, tying his career high, and giving him a career-best 36 runs batted.
Clint Arnold paced the 13-hit Razorback attack with three hits in five at bats. Hode added two hits and a season-high three RBI. Tschepikow continued his production with two hits and two RBI.
Brian McLelland pitched well out of the Arkansas bullpen allowing just one run on three hits in three innings of work.
The Razorbacks our off until Friday, May 13, when they travel to Alabama for a 6:30 p.m. game with the Crimson Tide. 

 Arkansas Razorbacks #4 Florida at #19 Arkansas Razorbacks May 08, 2005 at Fayetteville, Ark. (Baum Stadium) Florida 11 (32-15,15-9) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jeff Corsaletti cf....... 5 2 1 0 1 0 6 0 0 Stephen Barton dh........ 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Adam Davis 2b............ 6 2 3 2 0 0 0 2 2 Matt LaPorta 1b.......... 3 2 2 3 1 0 7 1 1 Brian Leclerc rf......... 5 1 2 2 0 1 2 1 1 Brandon McArthur 3b...... 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brian Jeroloman c........ 4 0 3 2 1 0 8 0 0 Justin Tordi ss.......... 5 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 5 Gavin Dickey lf.......... 4 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 Tommy Boss p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Darren O'Day p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Steven Porter p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Connor Falkenbach p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 41 11 15 9 4 3 27 9 10 Arkansas Razorbacks 10 (35-14,11-13) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Craig Gentry cf.......... 4 2 1 0 0 0 6 0 2 Clint Arnold dh.......... 5 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Danny Hamblin 1b......... 3 2 1 0 2 0 9 0 1 Brian Walker c........... 4 2 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 Blake Parker ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Scott Hode ss............ 5 2 2 3 0 1 1 0 1 Clay Goodwin 3b.......... 5 1 2 4 0 0 1 1 0 Chris Hollensworth lf.... 4 0 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 Ben Tschepikow 2b........ 5 0 2 2 0 1 3 4 2 Stephen Robison rf....... 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 Josh Smith p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lee Land p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Devin Collis p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Brian McLelland p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 40 10 13 10 3 6 27 7 7 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Florida............. 250 111 100 - 11 15 2 Arkansas Razorbacks. 010 005 004 - 10 13 0 ------------------------------------------- E - Davis(14); Boss(1). DP - UF 1. LOB - UF 10; ARKANSAS 7. 2B - Corsaletti(11); Leclerc(5); Walker(6); Hollensworth(3). 3B - Davis(1). HR - LaPorta(18); Goodwin(5). HBP - Barton; McArthur; Gentry. SF - LaPorta(5). SB - Dickey(6). Florida IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Tommy Boss.......... 5.1 5 6 4 1 3 22 24 85 Darren O'Day........ 2.2 5 2 2 2 1 13 15 56 Steven Porter....... 0.2 2 2 2 0 1 3 3 7 Connor Falkenbach... 0.1 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 9 Arkansas Razorbacks IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Josh Smith.......... 1.0 3 4 4 3 0 6 10 35 Lee Land............ 1.0 3 3 3 0 0 5 7 22 Devin Collis........ 4.0 6 3 3 1 3 18 19 59 Brian McLelland..... 3.0 3 1 1 0 0 12 12 37 Win - Boss (6-3). Loss - Smith (1-2). Save - Falkenbach (5). WP - Land(5); Collis(4). HBP - by Smith (McArthur); by Land (Barton); by Boss (Gentry). Inherited runners/scored: O'Day 2/2; Porter 3/2; Land 2/2. Pitches/strikes: Boss 85/58; O'Day 56/35; Porter 7/7; Falkenbach 9/6; Smith 35/16; Land 22/14; Collis 59/37; McLelland 37/24. Umpires - HP: Charles McElroy 1B: Tony Walsh 3B: Jay Asher Start: 12:07 Time: 3:02 Attendance: 6678 Game notes: Actual Attendance: 2122 Smith faced 2 batters in the 2nd. O'Day faced 3 batters in the 9th.