The Arkansas Razorbacks lost their fourth consecutive game Friday and were eliminated from the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover, Ala. The Florida Gators topped the Hogs, 7-5, to advance.
Braden Webb’s two-run, two-out home run in the ninth made the game interesting for a moment, but Florida prevailed drawing the final out from the next batter.
Arkansas (38-18) now returns to Fayetteville and awaits to learn its postseason destination on Monday when the NCAA Tournament field will be announced at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
The Hogs have not traveled for an NCAA Regional since 2015, but losing six of their final eight games not only cost the Hogs a share of the SEC Western Division title but also the opportunity to host a Regional. Speculation is that the Razorbacks will be sent to either a Regional played in Stillwater, Okla. or Austin, Texas as a No. 2 seed, but Hog fans should wait until Monday to make firm travel plans.
The Razorbacks fell behind 2-0 in the second inning, and the Gators extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth with right-handed senior Conor Noland on the mound.
Razorbacks Cayden Wallace and Micheal Turner swatted back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth to pull the Hogs within 5-3. However Florida tacked on two runs in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 7-3 until Webb’s blast in the ninth inning.
