Let us read it for you. Listen now. Your browser does not support the audio element.
AROUND THE HORN
FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas starter Zach Root struggled through his worst start as a Razorback by lasting a season-low 3 2/3 innings in Thursday's 10-7 loss to Tennessee.
Root had thrown just 31 pitches through three innings before the Volunteers worked him for 37 pitches in a three-run fourth inning. The junior left-hander's previous low had been 4 innings in a 7-4 loss to Texas A&M on April 17.
Root had thrown 87-plus pitches in each of his past eight starts and averaged 94.6 pitches per game in that span.
However, he struggled with his command, walking two and allowing seven hits, including back-to-back singles by nine-hole hitter Manny Marin and Gavin Kilen with two outs in the fourth that scored three runs for the Volunteers.
"He was behind in the count a lot," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said during his in-game interview on ESPN2 in the fifth inning. "You know his pitch count was down until that last inning. It was because we got a double-play ball, made a couple of plays here and there.
"Tonight there was a lot of pitches, 2-0 counts, 3-1, having to fight back. He just didn't look comfortable to me. He couldn't land the breaking ball and he wasn't spotting the heater as much as normal. Give credit to Tennessee. They did a nice job."
Homerless
Arkansas, which had not gone more than one game in a row without hitting a home run all season until the last two games at LSU last weekend, failed to hit a home run for the third consecutive game.
The Volunteers launched four, giving Arkansas opponents a 10-0 edge in the past three games.
Arkansas has homered in 43 of 53 games and Tennessee has homered four-plus times in 10 games.
Bargo bashing
Tennessee left fielder Dalton Bargo left the park in both directions as he launched his 13th and 14th home runs of the season.
Bargo, a left-handed batter, took Zach Root deep the opposite way with a no doubt solo shot to open the scoring in the second inning. He launched a two-run shot off Gabe Gaeckle over the right-field wall during Tennessee's three-run seventh inning.
Bargo hit a pair of home runs for the second time this season, following a game against North Carolina-Asheville on Feb. 18.
Hog bats
Arkansas did not have a 1-2-3 inning at the plate but left 12 runners on base.
Logan Maxwell and Reese Robinett both reached base four times and Brent Iredale reached three times.
Wehiwa Aloy snapped an 0 for 11 stretch with a two-run single in the eighth inning.
Wild eighth
Tennessee's Ariel Antigua came on as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning and quickly got involved in a strange play.
With runners on first and second, Charles Davalan hit a liner to Antingua's left that he leaped and gloved, though the ball popped out of his glove as he brought his arm down and began a sprint to second base with a chance to double off Reese Robinett. Antigua collected the ball, saw Justin Thomas Jr. strangely well off first base and fired wildly to the first base bag, allowing both runners to move up.
Tennessee challenged whether both runners successfully tagged up before advancing and the call was upheld.
Call stands
Arkansas asked for a replay review after a super-close play at the plate in the bottom of the second inning.
Charles Davalan's two-out, two-strike double easily scored Ryder Helfrick and Brent Iredale, who had both singled, to give Arkansas a 2-1 lead, but Reese Robinett was called out by home plate umpire Eddie Newsom.
Davalan's hard shot hugged the first-base line and got into the corner, but right fielder Reese Chapman fielded it cleanly and threw a strike on his relay to first baseman Andrew Fischer who fired home.
None of the replay angles could definitively show when the glove of diving catcher Cannon Peebles touched Robinett's leg, and the call was upheld from the replay center in Birmingham, Ala.
Hammy OK
Arkansas left fielder Logan Maxwell, who has been in and out of the lineup lately with a tricky hamstring, showed it was fine in the fifth inning when he dropped a well-placed bunt down the third base line. Pitcher Marcus Phiilips fielded the ball but thought better of trying to fire to first as Maxwell had zipped down the line.
Maxwell, batting in the three hole, reached base on each of his first three plate appearances and went 3 for 4 in the game. He singled in the first inning, walked in the third and singled in the Hogs' three-run eighth.
Howser list
Razorbacks Kuhio Aloy, Wehiwa Aloy and Charles Davalan were named Thursday to the list of 67 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, presented annually to the top college baseball player by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association since 1987.
Arkansas is one of four schools -- along with Florida State, Tennessee and Texas -- to put three players on the semifinalist's list for the trophy named for the former Florida State All-America shortstop and major league player and manager who died of brain cancer in 1987.
Former Razorbacks Andrew Benintendi (2015) and Kevin Kopps (2021) won the Howser Trophy in the past decade.
Kuhio Aloy entered Thursday's game hitting .356 with a .629 slugging percentage, 13 home runs and an SEC-best 66 RBI.
Wehiwa Aloy, the older brother of Kuhio, entered Thursday leading the team with a .364 average, .687 slugging percentage and 17 home runs. He leads the SEC with 68 runs scored, 78 hits and 147 total bases.
Davalan entered Thursday with a .349 average, a .578 slugging percentage, 31 home runs and 51 RBI. The native of Montreal is second on the team with 62 runs, 76 hits, 13 home runs and 126 total bases. He also has a 1.000 fielding percentage with a team-high four outfield assists.
Finalists for the trophy will be announced June 7 and the winner announced at a news conference at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., home of the College World Series.
Turning two
Both teams got key double-play grounders in the early innings.
After Arkansas leadoff man Charles Davalan singled to open the bottom of the first, Tennessee right-hander Marcus Phillips got Wehiwa Aloy to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play. Logan Maxwell followed with a single to make the twin killing hurt more.
Arkansas starter Zach Root had runners at first and third with one out in the third inning before coaxing a 6-4-3 double play from Hunter Ensley to escape the inning with no damage.