Iredale and Aloy combine for trio of blasts as Arkansas takes down WSU 5-2

By DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – New Arkansas third baseman Brent Iredale barely missed his first career college home run on Friday, but made sure there was no doubt about it on Saturday.

Iredale hit two massive solo blasts on Saturday to power the Razorbacks over Washington State University 5-2 at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Wehiwa Aloy also hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Arkansas (3-0) and starting pitcher Gage Wood became the third Razorback pitcher in three games to put forth a solid 5-inning start.

“We had a couple of good swings from Iredale and it was good to see Wehiwa get into one oppo(site field) and kind of give us a cushion going into the ninth,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said.

Arkansas jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when freshman catcher Zane Becker delivered an RBI double in his first collegiate at bat.

Washington State (0-3) rallied to take a 2-1 lead against Wood in the on Rico Longo’s RBI triple and Ryan Skjonsby’s sacrifice fly.

But that lead lasted just a few minutes as Iredale crushed Like Meyers’ second pitch of the inning way over the left field fence to tie it 2-2.

Iredale would then uncork another blast in the sixth off Jake Tedesco that put the Razorbacks up 3-2.

Australia native Iredale had hit off the left field wall and just came up short on another drive on Friday.

Yeah, I mean that was big time,” Van Horn said. “You look at what happened last night, the guy was close to having four home runs. He hit a ball into the wind about as hard as you could hit it and then he hit one, I guess it hit the top of the fence.

“…To have Brent come through like that, you know, he hit a changeup, he hit a fastball. He’s had some really good at bats. For a while there, he was about all the offense we had rolling and then some other guys kicked it in later there. 

Iredale, who along with Becker had two of his team’s nine hits on Saturday is batting .545 (6 for 11) with 7 RBIs and four runs scored on the young season.

Aloy then put the game away with his two-run shot in the bottom of the the eighth that plated Charles Davalan, who had doubled.

Aloy, one of two Razorbacks on the College Player of the Year award. Watch list, was 1 of 9 for the weekend going into that at bat.

“Well, I don’t know if you’d call it pressing,” Van Horn said. “I think when you have so much high expectation, everybody thinks you’re supposed to get a hit every time up or at least hit a ball hard. You’ve got to take that off yourself and relax.

“What I love about him is he just keeps playing great defense and making plays. He doesn’t take his bat out to the field it he doesn’t go well.”

Wood would become the third consecutive Razorback starting pitcher to go five innings.

He would allow 2 runs on 2 hits, strikeout 7, walk one and had a wild pitch.

Wood threw 77 pitches, 48 for strikes.

“The pitching was solid,” Van Horn said. “I thought Gage has good stuff…Did it mostly with his fastball and cutter today so that was impressive. He needs to get that breaking ball going and then it would have been a really good day for him.”

Dylan Carter (1-0) relieved Wood in the sixth and pitched 1 2/3 innings more Parker Coli took the mound and went 1 1/3 more scoreless frames.

Arkansas freshman Carson Wiggins, whose fast ball touched 100 miles per hour, then pithed the ninth and earned a save in his college debut.

“Carter came in an I think got better as he got going a little bit,” Van Horn said. “And then Coil came into a tough spot and did a nice job and got through the next inning and got us to Wiggins.”

Wiggins, the brother of former Arkansas pitcher Jaxson Wiggins, was a top 100 Major League Baseball Draft prospect, but made it to Fayetteville nevertheless.

“Yeah, I thought he threw good,” Van Horn said. “ I don’t know, 17 or 18 pitches. You know, most of them were right around the plate. Even his misses were close. Thought he threw a couple sliders that were close.

“It’s good to see a young guy come in. It wasn’t like we were only up one, but he still had to finish the game.

“If they get another guy on there, it gets a little dicey because now they’ve got the tying run at the plate and they know he throws hard, so they’re just cheating to the fastball as best they can.

“Got to have another pitch, and he’s got one, but it was really good to see. I thought all four of our guys threw really well today.”

Aloy’s homer allowed Wiggins to come in with less pressure and also took some off Aloy.

Arkansas and Washington State will take off Sunday before finishing off their four-game set with a noon game on Monday.

Ohio State left hander transfer pitcher Landon Beidelschies is slated to start for Arkansas.

Photo courtesy of Razorbacks Communications