FAYETTEVILLE―Arkansas outfielder Brett Eibner is officially back―both at the plate and on the field.
After missing two straight games because of a hand injury, the Houston, Texas, native finished 4-for-5 with five runs, three home runs and seven RBIs during a 19-7 win against Grambling State at the Fayetteville Regional.
“He hit the ball extremely well the last couple of days in practice,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “The ball is jumping off the bat. It’s that time of the year when players play. That’s what it’s all about.”
The junior hit a two-run home run in his first plate appearance then took two bases and scored from second base on a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Eibner then followed that with a three-run home run and hit another in his last plate appearance in the eighth.
“I felt great out there,” Eibner said. “More than anything I was excited to be out there and play after taking two games off.”
But Eibner wasn’t the only Razorback to go deep, as the Razorbacks hit a school record nine home runs in front of 6,305 fans at Baum Stadium. Arkansas first baseman Andy Wilkins, outfielder Collin Kuhn and catcher James McCann all hit two home runs in the power display.
“I’ve never seen that before,” said Wilkins, who hit the record-setting home run. “That was just unbelievable for our offense.”
Eibner was one of three Razorbacks in the first inning to hit a home run, as Arkansas jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. The advantage was just what Van Horn said the team needed without ace Drew Smyly on the mound.
“When you don’t throw your number one or two guy in game one, it makes you a little stressed out,” Van Horn said. “It’s a little nerve racking. I’m glad we got out to the early lead.”
Senior TJ Forrest started the game and allowed four earned runs while striking out four in 4.2 innings for Arkansas in front of 6,305 fans.
“TJ came out and for three or four innings did a really good job of moving the ball around in the strike zone,” Van Horn said. “I’m just proud of him because it was hot and tough on a pitcher.”
Razorback reliever Sam Murphy picked up his second win of the season while pitching 2.1 innings while striking out two and allowing one earned run.
“Murphy did a heck of a job throwing strikes,” McCann said. “He had the fastball working on both sides of the plate. He has done a heck of a job for us.”
After being down 11-1 heading into the fifth inning, the Tigers rallied and scored three runs by using RBI singles from first baseman Steve Kletke and outfielder Mychal Roby. Grambing State then added another run in the sixth to put pressure on the Razorbacks.
“A never say die attitude is what these guys have,” Tiger head coach James Cooper said. “We got off to a bad start. We knew if we could swing the bats we could get back in the game.”
But the offense wasn’t enough to overcome the early innings when Grambling State starter Odingo Davila allowed eight earned runs in 1.2 innings of work.
“It started off shaky,” Roby said. “The big inning in the first really killed us. We put something together in the middle innings. But we really needed to eliminate the big inning.”
The Tigers left 11 runners on base during the game, including several bases loaded situations that Razorback bullpen was able to work around.
“There lineup is very scrappy,” Van Horn said. “They just kept battling and had the bases loaded and a swing away from getting right back into it.”
Davila picked up his fifth loss of the season while allowing nine hits and two walks while facing 13 Razorback hitters.
“He couldn’t keep the ball down in the zone,” Cooper said. “They put some good swings on some pitches. When you can’t keep the ball in the park, you can compete in games like that.”
After averaging less than three runs a game in the last nine games, Van Horn said it was nice to see the offense use the whole field and take advantage of the hitting opportunities presented.
“I felt like we were in good hitters counts,” Van Horn said. “You can get geared up when you are ahead. We didn’t swing at boarder line pitches.”
But for Eibner, getting back on the field healthy―and picking up the postseason win―was one step closer to the ultimate goal.
“It was exciting for me to get back out there,’ Eibner said. “I don’t think I’ve hit three home runs before. But I’d rather be in Omaha winning a national championship.”
