Arkansas baseball survives Texas Tech in 11-inning walk-off
ARLINGTON — The fifth-ranked Razorbacks survived a late collapse and delivered a dramatic finish Sunday at Globe Life Field, edging Texas Tech 6-5 in 11 innings. Camden Kozeal’s one-out, ninth-inning home run forced extra innings and Damian Ruiz scored the winning run on Maika Niu’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th. Arkansas finished the College Showdown with a winning record and will stay in Arlington to face Tarleton State on Monday at 2 p. m. ET.
Ninth-inning unraveling, Kozeal’s timely blast
Arkansas carried a 4-1 lead into the ninth, but the game turned quickly. The Red Raiders pushed across four runs in the top of the ninth on a combination of three walks, two hits and a hit-by-pitch against the Razorbacks’ late-inning pitchers. Cooper Dossett walked Jace Souza with the bases loaded to force in a run, and after a pitching change, Steele Eaves hit Kyeler Thompson in the helmet to pull the visitors closer. Tracer Lopez then lined a two-strike pitch into left field, scoring two and giving Texas Tech a 5-4 advantage.
Facing a one-run deficit with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Arkansas turned to Kozeal. The left-handed hitter ripped a 0-2 pitch from Texas Tech reliever Will Jordan over the fence — a 409-foot solo shot that knotted the score at 5-5 and kept the Razorbacks alive.
Extra-inning heroics and standout performances
Both teams went quietly in the 10th, but Arkansas closed the door in the 11th to set the stage for the walk-off. Eaves worked the 11th and escaped trouble after a two-out walk to Souza, preserving the opportunity for the Razorbacks’ offense.
Damian Ruiz led off the bottom of the 11th with a single to center off Logan Bevis and advanced to third on Ryder Helfrick’s single to right. Maika Niu then delivered a sacrifice fly that allowed Ruiz to score and end the game.
Ruiz enjoyed a breakout night at the top of the order. Batting leadoff for the first time in his Arkansas career, he reached in every plate appearance — finishing 2-for-2 with four walks, two runs scored and a stolen base. His presence on the bases and knack for getting on helped the Razorbacks manufacture the late-game rally they needed.
Starter Colin Fisher set the tone early with an efficient outing. The junior left-hander tossed five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out eight and working with a total of 82 pitches. Arkansas did not surrender a baserunner against Fisher until a one-out single in the third.
The Razorbacks’ offense also drew standout contributions before the late drama. Niu opened the scoring in the third with an RBI fielder’s choice after Ruiz reached on a leadoff walk and moved to third on Helfrick’s single. Arkansas extended the lead in the fourth when a two-out, two-run throwing error by Texas Tech third baseman Connor Shouse allowed two baserunners to score, stretching the advantage to 3-0.
What’s next
Arkansas did not trail until the ninth and showed resilience in closing out the tournament. The Razorbacks will remain in Arlington and take the field Monday at 2 p. m. ET against Tarleton State. The outing offered positives — a dominant early start from Fisher, timely hitting and clutch late-game execution — while also underscoring bullpen concerns that the staff will want to tighten up as conference play approaches.
Sunday’s roller-coaster finish provided a morale-boosting win for a team that has shown depth and resolve through the opening slate of the season.
