Walk-off walk keeps Arkansas from clinching SEC Western Division crown at Texas A&M

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

The SEC Western Division crown won’t be decided for at least another day because of an extra innings, two-out, walk off walk Thursday night in College Station, Texas.

Texas A&M’s Ted Burton drew a bases-loaded walk off Arkansas pitcher Will McEntire to give the Aggies a 1-0 win at Blue Bell Park.

“Obviously a great game by both pitching staffs,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “We used seven guys. Thought our guys (pitchers) did a tremendous job, giving us an opportunity to win the game.

“We just couldn’t get that big hit. We just couldn’t make contact with a runner at first and third, one out. That was disappointing.

“We needed a big hit and we didn’t get it. Really, they didn’t get a big hit either. We walked them in. So it was disappointing. But really proud of the way the guys fought and really proud of the way we pitched.”

Arkansas, who out-hit Texas A&M 9-5, but left 10 runners on base, had not walked a batter unintentionally until the last one of the game.

“That was frustrating,” Van Horn said. “The walk, that ended up being the winning run, and then one of the walks was intentional, so I don’t count that one.

“But the one to walk in the winning run, that was disappointing because the first pitch was a strike and then he threw four balls in a row. You’ve gotta flip that.”

The Razorbacks (42-11, 19-9) lead the Aggies (43-10, 18-10) by a game headed into Friday night’s 7 p.m. game before a Saturday 2 p.m. series finale.

The game featured a classic pitchers dual with Arkansas ace Hagen Smith facing fellow Lone Star prep standout and Texas A&M top starter Ryan Pranger.

Wow. A lot of pitchers that are going to pitch for a long time,” Schlossnagle said. “… Obviously, Smith is… I was trying to remember a lefty that I’ve seen with that kind of arm and I can’t remember one in 35 years but Prager was in his own way just as good.

“We made some nice plays behind him…Two really good teams and just elite pitching. Wow.”

Smith went seven scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and fanning 14, a number which gave him Arkansas’ all-time strikeout leader with 342.

It was the first of 14 starts for Smith (9-0) in which Arkansas had not not emerged victorious.

Prager went seven scoreless innings allowing just five hits, walking one and fanning nine before turning the game over to reliever Eavan Aschenbcek (5-1).

Prager – who is 8-1 this season – said he didn’t have any extra motivation against old rival Smith.

“No more than usual,” Prager said. “I think every weekend there is a ton of motivation to come out and be your best. Whether it works out or it doesn’t, we take that (mindset) into every weekend.

“Who you play might have an impact on it, but really our job stays the same no matter what the score is or if we start on time for a 6 o’clock game or we deal with the rain. We got pitch to pitch and just match it.”

Prager praised the Texas A&M crowd, who waited out a 90-minute rain delay.

“You saw it every pitch, they just got louder and louder,” Prager said. “It was great and I could feel it. Usually on the mound, I don’t usually hear them, but in the first inning, I could hear them and I felt it.

“All night long they were with this team. That’s special and we are super grateful of them. It’s been great to have them all weekend.

“We have two more this weekend and hopefully a few more for afterwards once we go to the postseason, but they are been great a huge shout out to them.”

Photo courtesy of Razorbacks Communication