FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sunday night was the game Arkansas did not want to be playing in.
It was the game that they had avoided for the last few years, an elimination game before the Regional final. As Hog fans know, nothing comes easy to this team, but somehow, they find a way.
The day started with a 20-5 trouncing at the hands of TCU, nothing to sugarcoat, it was the worst postseason loss of the Dave Van Horn era. While the Horned Frogs got to relax and head to Monday's final, Arkansas had to regroup and play Santa Clara on Sunday night with the season on the line.
The Razorbacks didn't look like a team defeated, coming out and immediately putting two runs on the board in the first, then tacking on a pair more to take a 4-0 lead into the 6th. Brady Tygart was dealing on the mound, allowing just one hit in the first 5 innings.
Though Tygart, who started the year in the bullpen then spent months injured, had never gone this deep into a game. Before Sunday, his career high was 64 pitches. With two outs, two strikes, and two on base in the bottom of the 5th, Tygart readied for his 99th pitch of the night, and the Broncos promptly lined it off the wall in left, chasing Tygart and cutting the lead in half.
In came the Bryant native, Will McEntire, fresh off 81 pitches on Friday. He promptly got a grounder to third, but an errant throw made it 4-3 Arkansas before the 6th finally came to an end.
Again you knew it was never going to be easy.
Big Will Mac, on short rest, shoved the rest of the way, getting to the ninth inning. He got some help from Kendall Diggs, who always seems to come up in big moments. Diggs golfed a ball at his ankles over the wall in right for a two-run homer, and what would turn out to be very important insurance.
After McEntire gave up a run in the ninth to make it 6-4, Hunter Hollan, the man who started Friday's game, entered for the save. 7 pitches in, he got a ground ball for a double play, and the Hogs could breathe again, as they took down Santa Clara 6-4.
So the Hogs survive for the night, now here's what's next: Arkansas takes on TCU at 2:00 p.m. on Monday.
A loss would end the season for the Hogs, and a win forces a winner to take all games on Monday night at 8:00 p.m. The winner of the Regional will take on Indiana State in a Super Regional.