#1 Diamond Hogs romp Tigers to complete SEC opening weekend sweep
Behind Mason Molina’s 10-strikeout performance, No. 1 Arkansas (17-2, 3-0 SEC) romped Missouri (9-11, 0-3 SEC), 9-1, Sunday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium to finish off its SEC Opening Weekend series sweep.
With Sunday’s win, the Razorbacks, who have won seven consecutive SEC Opening Weekend series, clinched their sixth conference-opening series sweep in their last seven tries since 2017. Arkansas also swept Mississippi State at home in 2017, Kentucky at home in 2018, Missouri at home in 2019, Kentucky at home in 2022, Auburn at home in 2023.
Missouri had no answers against Molina, who fired 5.1 scoreless innings and matched his season-high with 10 strikeouts for the third time this season. The left-hander, who earned the win to improve to 3-0, lowered his season ERA to 2.74.
The Razorback offense provided Molina with plenty of run support, tagging Tiger starter Carter Rustad for five runs. Arkansas scored twice in the bottom of the first, thanks to Kendall Diggs’ RBI double and Ben McLaughlin’s sac fly.
McLaughlin (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB) hammered a solo home run in the bottom half of the third to extend the Hogs’ lead to three. Arkansas broke through for two more runs in the
