Schmidt Tosses Complete Game Win Over No. 4 Fl

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas lefty Nick Schmidt tossed the Hogs' first complete game of the season in a 4-1 win over fourth-ranked Florida on Friday night at Baum Stadium in front of 6,993 fans.
Schmidt improved to 7-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.45. It was the longest outing of the season for the freshman from High Ridge, Mo. He allowed one run on seven hits and tied the second-highest strikeout total of his career with seven (he struck out 11 at South Carolina). Schmidt threw 138 pitches and 94 strikes, while walking only one.
"I never came close to taking Nick out of the game," Arkansas Head Coach Dave Van Horn said. "He was still throwing the ball over the plate, and he still had good pop in the ninth inning."
The win improved the Razorbacks' record to 34-13 on the year and 10-12 in SEC play. Florida falls to 31-14 and 14-8 in league action, but remain in first place in the SEC East by a half game over Tennessee.
The Razorbacks' 10-hit attack included several clutch hits that have been missing form the Arkansas arsenal over the past several weeks.
The Hogs pushed their first run across in the first inning on a RBI single off the bat of Danny Hamblin. The one-out single gave Hamblin a team-best 42 RBI on the season and scored Craig Gentry, who led off the inning with a double into the left-center field gap.
The Hogs increased the lead to 3-0 in fourth inning with clutch, two-out hitting. Ben Tschepikow continued to play well in place of an injured John Marquardt at second base, stroking a two-out, RBI double to right-center. Clint Arnold singled home UA's second run of the inning one batter later.
"It was good to finally get some two out base hits for RBI," Van Horn said. "There has been a shortage of those in SEC play these past few weeks. It was huge for us to punch in a couple of runs (in the fourth inning). It was also huge for (Stephen) Robison to get that sac bunt down for us."
Pinch-hitter Stephen Robison plated Arkansas' final-insurance run in the eighth inning laying down a perfect safety squeeze bunt to score Scott Hode, who led off the inning with a single to left field.
The Gators scratched out their only run of the game in the top of the fifth on Jeff Corsaletti's two-out RBI single past a diving Clay Goodwin at third base.
Bryan Ball took the loss for Florida to fall to 5-3 on the season. The UF right-hander allowed three runs - all earned - on nine hits in 6.1 innings of work. He walked two and struck out five. Steven Porter came on and faced one batter - striking out Brian Walker - before Connor Falkenbach came on to pitch the final 1.1 innings.
Arnold and Hamblin each went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Hogs, while Tschepikow collected two hits in three at bats.
Adam Davis led the Florida offense with a 2-for-4 night and Corsaletti, Gavin Dickey, Brian Leclerc, Brandon McArthur and Brian Jeroloman picked up one hit each.
The Razorbacks will go for the series win at 3:05 p.m. on Saturday at Baum Stadium.

 Arkansas Razorbacks #4 Florida at #19 Arkansas Razorbacks May 06, 2005 at Fayetteville, Ark. (Baum Stadium) Florida 1 (31-14,14-8) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jeff Corsaletti cf....... 3 0 1 1 1 1 3 0 0 Gavin Dickey lf.......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 Adam Davis 2b............ 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 2 1 Matt LaPorta 1b.......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 12 2 0 Brian Leclerc rf......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 Brandon McArthur 3b...... 4 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 0 Brian Jeroloman c........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 1 Justin Tordi ss.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 Stephen Barton dh........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bryan Ball 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 3 0 Totals................... 33 1 7 1 1 7 24 13 6 Arkansas Razorbacks 4 (34-13,10-12) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Craig Gentry cf.......... 4 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 3 Clint Arnold dh.......... 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Danny Hamblin 1b......... 4 0 2 1 0 0 7 1 2 Brian Walker c........... 4 0 1 0 0 1 6 3 0 Scott Hode ss............ 4 1 1 0 0 2 4 1 1 Clay Goodwin 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 Chris Hollensworth lf.... 2 1 1 0 1 1 2 0 1 Blake Parker rf.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Stephen Robison ph/rf... 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Ben Tschepikow 2b........ 3 1 2 1 1 1 2 4 0 Nick Schmidt p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 30 4 10 4 3 6 27 13 9 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Florida............. 000 010 000 - 1 7 2 Arkansas Razorbacks. 100 200 01X - 4 10 1 ------------------------------------------- E - Dickey 2(5); Hode(12). DP - UF 1. LOB - UF 6; ARKANSAS 9. 2B - Gentry(8); Walker(5); Tschepikow(2). HBP - Hollensworth. SH - Goodwin(2); Parker(2); Robison(4). CS - Dickey(5); Davis(4). Florida IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Bryan Ball.......... 6.1 9 3 3 2 5 27 30 105 Steven Porter....... 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 Connor Falkenbach... 1.1 1 1 1 1 0 2 6 22 Arkansas Razorbacks IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Nick Schmidt........ 9.0 7 1 1 1 7 33 34 138 Win - Schmidt (7-1). Loss - Ball (5-3). Save - None. WP - Falkenbach(1); Schmidt(4). HBP - by Falkenbach (Hollensworth). BK - Falkenbach(3). Inherited runners/scored: Porter 1/0; Falkenbach 1/0. Pitches/strikes: Ball 105/64; Porter 3/3; Falkenbach 22/13; Schmidt 138/94. Umpires - HP: Tony Walsh 1B: Jay Asher 3B: Charles McElroy Start: 7:07 Time: 2:47 Attendance: 7602 Game notes: Actual Attendance: 6,993 Game: AR47