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SEC TOURNAMENT - SEMIFINAL AT HOOVER AL

Razorbacks roll past Gators to title game

1664 days ago
SEC Network
Photo: Arkansas Athletics

HOOVER, Ala. -- The fourth-seeded Razorbacks upended the top-seeded Gators with another dominant offensive performance. With a 16-0 run-rule win in seven innings, Arkansas advanced to the SEC Tournament title game for the fourth time and first since 2007.

Arkansas first baseman Chad Spanberger continued his tear through the SEC Tournament, adding another two home runs to his tally. Spanberger's five homers are tied for second most in a single SEC Tournament.

Just like in his record-setting performance on Thursday, Spanberger drilled home runs in his first two at-bats. The Razorbacks' 79 home runs this season are the most by an SEC team since BBCOR bats were adopted in 2011.

Arkansas LHP Kacey Murphy (5-0) held the Gators scoreless across all seven innings, giving up only two hits while striking out eight.

The Razorbacks had a 5-0 lead by the end of the first frame due to Spanberger's first homer, a 2-RBI single by Jax Biggers and a sacrifice fly by Grant Koch.

Arkansas continued to roll in the second inning as Eric Cole hit a two-run shot, immediately followed by Spanberger's second home run. That ended the day for Florida starter Brady Singer and Nate Brown was able to get out of the inning without any more Arkansas runs.

Florida LHP Andrew Baker worked a scoreless third inning, but gave up a two-run homer to Dominic Fletcher in the fourth. The four home runs are the most allowed by the Gators this season.

The Gators called Kirby McMullen to the bump in the fourth and Cole Maye took over in the fifth with two runners on base. A single by Fletcher brought the runners across the plate. Biggers hit an RBI single and Carson Shaddy scored on a wild pitch to push the Razorbacks' lead to 14-0.

The Razorbacks added two more runs in the seventh with an RBI double from Evan Lee and an RBI single by Cole.

With LSU's 11-0 win against South Carolina in the first semifinal, this is the first time both teams reached the SEC Championship game with run-rule victories.

UP NEXT: Arkansas plays No. 2 seed LSU for the SEC Tournament title. The SEC championship game begins Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Razorbacks are looking to win their first tournament title, while the Tigers have won 11 times.