By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau
OMAHA, Neb. — Arkansas snapped South Carolina’s 12-game Southeastern Conference win streak earlier this season, winning the second game in a three-game series in Fayetteville.
On Monday, the Razorbacks accomplished something even more significant in the College World Series. Arkansas snapped South Carolina’s record 22-game NCAA Tournament win streak, which included 12 straight wins here in Omaha.
The Razorbacks relied on strong pitching once again and scored just enough runs early to beat South Carolina 2-1 in TD Ameritrade Park.
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Ryne Stanek (8-5) allowed one run on three hits in six innings before turning the game over to reliever Barrett Astin, who came out of the bullpen to finish off the Gamecocks.
The duo pushed Arkansas the driver’s seat in its bracket. The Hogs need one win to reach the best-of-three championship series in Omaha.
South Carolina, which won the 2010 and 2011 national championship, hadn’t dropped an NCAA Tournament game since losing to Oklahoma in the 2010 College World Series opener. The remarkable run of 22 straight wins was an NCAA record. But it came to an end Monday night against an Arkansas team confident it could keep pace with the Gamecocks after a tight three game series in Fayetteville in May.
Now, the Razorbacks are 2-0 in the College World Series for the second time in school history. The last time it happened was 1979, when Norm DeBriyn’s Razorbacks finished second to Cal State Fullerton in its first Omaha trip.
Arkansas will now enjoy two days off — a luxury in the postseason — before facing the winner of Wednesday’s game between South Carolina/Kent State on Thursday night.
An Arkansas win against the surviving team would send the Razorbacks into the best-of-three championship series. A loss would set up one more deciding game Friday night.
Arkansas moved into prime position thanks to a strong outing from its starting pitcher for the second straight game here in Omaha. Two days after DJ Baxendale hurled Arkansas to an 8-1 win against Kent State, Stanek earned some redemption from his struggles against South Carolina earlier this season. His only blemish came in the fifth inning when South Carolina made him pay for a leadoff walk with Evan Marzilli’s triple to deep center field. It cut Arkansas’ lead to 2-1, but Stanek buckled down and retired the final four batters he faced before heading off to the dugout.
Stanek allowed one run on three hits in six innings pitched. He walked three, struck out three and threw 91 pitches, 58 for strikes.
He got to work with an early lead Monday. The Razorbacks scratched a run across the plate in the first inning against South Carolina starter Colby Holmes (7-2). Shortstop Tim Carver singled to open the game, then was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. He later scored when first baseman Dominic Ficociello, whose average had dipped to .298 after Saturday’s win against Kent State, followed with a two-out double that scored Carver.
The Razorbacks added to their lead in the fourth, when Brian Anderson walked to lead off the inning. He scored a little later when Matt Vinson hit a two-out single to right field.
Arkansas put its leadoff man on base in the first four innings and five times Monday.
The lead held up even though South Carolina finally broke through in the fifth inning when Evan Marzilli tripled over Vinson’s head in center field. The big hit scored Chase Vergason, who walked to lead off the inning.
But Stanek and the Razorbacks clamped down to get the final out. Ficociello ended the inning with a solid defensive play, fielding a bunt attempt by Tanner English and tagging him out to strand Marzilli at third base.
Astin then retired nine of the 10 batters he faced, getting a groundout to end the game.