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BASEBALL: Rallying Razorbacks Do It Again

Last updated Sunday, February 24, 2008 8:04 PM CST
in Razorback Central

By Vernon Tarver
THE MORNING NEWS

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FAYETTEVILLE -- For one weekend at least, the "Rallying Razorbacks" is a fitting description for the Arkansas baseball.

Keeping up with the theme of the entire series, the Diamond Hogs capped off a three-game sweep of Wright State on Sunday in front of 1,912 in Baum Stadium with their third consecutive come-from-behind win. This time, Arkansas fell behind by two runs before storming back with a four-run seventh inning in a 7-3 victory.

For the Razorbacks (3-0), the win was much prettier than the first two as errors were down and starting pitching was finally a plus. But just like Friday and Saturday, it was newcomers setting the tone.

"It was just a better day, from the second half on," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "Again we learned a lot about our team. I think some of the older guys gained a lot of confidence in the younger guys and the hitters gained a lot of confidence in our pitching.

"But we've got to get a lot better. Just too many little thing mistakes. Dropped popups, forgetting how many outs there are. Those are things we've got to get over and get out of our system and move on."

Freshman Kendal Korbel got the start and worked an effective four innings for the Razorbacks. Korbel gave up just one run on one hit -- with one walk and four strikeouts -- before handing the ball off to Evan Cox.

Along with Korbel, Arkansas newcomers Andy Wilkins and Jacob House came up big at the plate -- each delivering two-run hits in the four-run seventh. And fellow freshman Brett Eibner, a dual-position pitcher-outfielder, also chipped in with three innings of relief.

"When we get the younger guys in there and we get in situations where we need them to get a hit or we need them to drive in a run, and we saw a couple of situations where they did that this weekend," Arkansas third baseman Logan Forsythe said. "And that was really good to see, especially with this being the first series. You come out and you're not too sure about the freshmen pitchers on the mound or the freshmen position players in the field. You're not too sure what they're going to do, how they're going to handle it. But you've got hand it to them, they played good."

Despite taking the series in sweeping fashion, Van Horn knows his team can improve. He also knows his veteran ballplayers will eventually come around.

"I really feel like we're going to start hitting the ball a lot better," Van Horn said. "I mean I didn't even play guys like Casey Coon today. And some of the other guys that you know are going to be right there in the middle or our lineup getting it done when the game is on the line.

"Again, we have a lot of nonconference games. But when conference starts it will be a lot of the older guys right in the middle of it."

Arkansas is back at Baum at 3:05 p.m. Tuesday, playing host to Southeast Missouri State.




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