FAYETTEVILLE - Knowing his team would likely be sluggish following five days on the road and a plane ride two time zones away, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn asked his team to just find a way to win Tuesday.
The No. 9 Razorbacks granted their coach’s wish, downing Kansas 4-2 just a day after returning from a road trip to San Diego State. The game was the Hogs’ shortest of the year, lasting only 2 hours, 10 minutes.
“It was a vanilla game; pretty boring, actually,” Van Horn said. “We tried to get (the team) going and we’ve been working on them since the second the game was over Sunday afternoon. All I told them before the game was to find a way to win, and they did. I’m glad that one’s over and we can move on.”
Arkansas (14-2) scored two runs in the top of the third inning on a Collin Kuhn single to take the lead for good. Ryne Stanek earned the win, allowing an unearned run on three hits in four innings.
“It was good after a long trip and long day yesterday traveling to get back in here and compete, and win,” Stanek said. “Our pitchers did just enough to let our bats get some runs and win it.”
Kyle Robinson led off the fourth inning with a solo home run off the first pitch from Kansas reliever Thomas Taylor, and James McCann added a run later in the frame on a Sam Bates single, sliding underneath the tag of Jayhawks catcher James Stanfield.
“Those were big hits,” Van Horn said. “We left a couple of more out there. We bunted some guys over and had a shot to get them in, but didn’t. In these tight games, those can be the difference and I feel fortunate to win.”
Kansas (7-9) threatened in the top of the fifth against Arkansas reliever Zack Hall, but the left-hander worked out of the jam giving up just one run and stranding a runner in scoring position.
Arkansas relievers Randall Fant, Geoffrey Davenport and Nolan Sanburn combined to pitch four scoreless innings to close the game, with Sanburn earning his second save of the season by retiring the side in the ninth.
“I thought the bullpen did a great job,” Van Horn said. “Fant came in and gave us a couple and Davenport gave us an inning. I thought Nolan was outstanding again. The plan was to throw Stanek about four innings and we needed Hall to give us an inning and he did, but it wasn’t real pretty.”
Davenport left the field following the top of the eighth inning in obvious pain, holding his throwing elbow. Van Horn said the left-hander injured himself before the end of the inning, but fought through it.
“I think that he kind of felt something the pitch before, so that’s not a good sign,” Van Horn said. “He’ll get an MRI first thing in the morning, but it didn’t look good to me. I’d be surprised if it’s not torn.”
Davenport, who began the season as a weekend starter, has flourished in bullpen duty of late, earning two wins in relief.
“He’d been kind of our middle relief, bulldog guy,” Van Horn said. “He’d get you innings in the sixth and the seventh, or into the eighth to get you to the closer. It’s disappointing. I feel bad for him. Again, we don’t know what’s going on and it might only be a strain, but we’ll know more tomorrow.”
Arkansas will next face Auburn Friday in the first of a three-game SEC-opening series for both teams.
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Another nice win. The diamond hogs are rolling. Let’s hope Davenport isn’t hurt too bad. We need him.
On another note: just watched Coach Petrino’s press conference on the spring practice. Man, oh man. That man is a PROFESSIONAL.